Local Design Agency Goes National by Winning Its First Packaging Design Award

Brand Force 5’s first package design project earns a Graphic Design USA American Package Design Award and a place in the 63rd GDUSA Package Design Awards Annual

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ, UNITED STATES, August 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Earlier this year, local New Jersey design agency Brand Force 5 added packaging design to its growing list of creative services. Now, the agency’s very first package design project has earned national recognition with a 2026 Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) American Package Design Award for its branding and packaging work on Silvio & Filomena’s Olive Oil.

The project brought several firsts for Brand Force 5. It was the agency’s first package design project, its first entry into the GDUSA American Package Design Awards, and now its first national award for packaging. Brand Force 5 has previously received national recognition from GDUSA for graphic design, brochure design, and logo design.

The GDUSA American Package Design Awards recognize outstanding package design created by agencies, design firms, corporations, and institutions across the country. This year’s winners include work for Apple, Amazon, Dell Technologies, CLIF Bar, and Mondelez. For Brand Force 5, seeing its first packaging project included among work for brands of that size makes the recognition even more exciting.

Silvio & Filomena’s, however, started with a very personal story. Before designing the bottle or label, Brand Force 5 began with the brand itself and the family behind it. The custom logo was built around a simple idea with several layers of meaning. Two Fs come together to create an S. One F represents Filomena and the other represents their daughter, Florence. The S represents both Silvio and their daughter, Sue. What looks like a simple monogram at first is actually a symbol of the family.

That story became the starting point for the packaging. Dark green glass was chosen because it gave the bottle the classic, premium appearance the brand called for, while also helping protect the olive oil from light exposure. The olive green used throughout the packaging came directly from the identity that had already been created. Brand Force 5 also designed a holiday edition, adapting the original look for a seasonal offering without losing the character of the brand.

“Adding packaging design wasn’t about expanding our list of services,” said Michael Maloney, Chief Creative Officer of Brand Force 5. “It was about expanding the impact of the work we already do. We’ve never wanted to be an agency that offers everything. Our focus has always been on a select group of creative services where strategy, intelligence, and thoughtful design come together to build stronger brands. Packaging was simply the next logical extension of that philosophy. The best designs begin with a strong brand, and strong brands begin with great stories. When strategy and storytelling come first, the design has a purpose beyond simply looking good. Seeing our very first package design project recognized on a national stage is incredibly rewarding.”

For Brand Force 5, the award is also confirmation that adding packaging design was the right move. It allowed the agency to take the same thinking it already brings to logos and brand identity and apply it to a physical product. In this case, that meant creating something that could stand out on a shelf while still feeling like it belonged to Silvio, Filomena and their family. The winning Silvio & Filomena’s Olive Oil project will appear in GDUSA’s 63rd Package Design Awards Annual, featuring this year’s nationally recognized package design work.

About Brand Force 5

Brand Force 5 is an award-winning New Jersey design agency specializing in branding, logo design, graphic design, brochure design and packaging design. The agency works with businesses of all sizes to create smart, memorable design built around a clear strategy and a strong idea. Brand Force 5’s work has earned national and international recognition, with honors from the NJ Ad Club, Graphic Design USA, the Communicator Awards and the Davey Awards. Based in Bergen County, New Jersey, the agency works with clients locally and across the country.

Michael P. Maloney
Brand Force 5
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