The fourth annual Colored by INX Can Design Contest officially begins today, February 14^th, as entries are now being accepted. The contest is open to all brand owners, design agencies, marketers, and metal decorators who used the INX Color Catalog to produce a commercial can design before December 31, 2022. 

The fourth edition of this contest is slated to be the most competitive and intriguing one yet, as it features new judges, new rules, and new voting procedures, and there also is a possibility of a three-peat, as Great Lakes Brewing Company looks to win the competition for the third straight year.

“Our contest has grown each year and the designs we receive get better every year. It’s really exciting having big brands like Coca-Cola and Molson Coors competing against smaller craft breweries on a level playing field,” said Jeanie Morris, Digital Marketing Coordinator for INX International Ink Co. “This contest is all about the creativity, and we feel fortunate to celebrate our customers’ craftsmanship in this way.”

As part of the contest’s revamped format, entries will now be required to use at least two of INX’s over 600 removable color metal swatch options, instead of the previous requirement of one. In addition to this rule change, the contest has also reduced the number of judges from six to five, with the sixth vote coming from a public, online survey that will be available on all of INX’s social media accounts. 

“The excitement we received previously on Facebook allowed everyone to get involved in the contest. When we decided to have six judges do the voting last year, we really missed all the social engagement,” continued Moris. “Instead of having the voting exclusive to Facebook, we will use a survey link across all social media channels.”

This year’s panel of judges includes two holdovers and three newcomers. Sarah Jacks, INX International’s Color Perfection Manager, and Scott Drucker, Managing Partner of Chicago-based marketing agency, The Drucker Group, are the returnees, while Alex Fordham, owner of The Metal Packager magazine in London; Janet Johanson, Founder & CEO of BevSource, an integrated provider of beverage development, sourcing and production solutions in St. Paul, Minnesota; and Marshall Thompson, the co-founder of Canworks, a digital aluminum can printing company based in Austin, Texas, are the newcomers filling up the panel. 

The judges will be tasked with determining five finalists chosen on the basis of originality, overall design aesthetics, best use of the color palette, and the project statement explaining how the INX Color Catalog was key to the design, and their decision will be announced on June 12, with the winner being revealed on June 22. 

To learn more about the Colored by INX Can Design Contest, please visit the company's website. 

PHOTO: Great Lakes Brewing Company won the competition in 2022 with its TropiCoastal Tropical IPA beer can design.