Brand Force 5 wins first packaging award for Olive Oil design

Brand Force 5’s first package design project has earned a 2026 Graphic Design USA American Package Design Award for Silvio & Filomena’s Olive Oil. The Bergen County agency’s win signals a successful expansion into packaging and puts its work in GDUSA’s 63rd Package Design Awards Annual.

Why it matters: - Brand Force 5’s first packaging project turned into its first national packaging award, signaling that the agency’s expansion into package design is already producing outside validation. - The win also puts a Bergen County agency alongside packaging work for major brands including Apple, Amazon, Dell Technologies, CLIF Bar and Mondelez. - The honored project will appear in GDUSA’s 63rd Package Design Awards Annual, extending the visibility of the work beyond the award itself.

What happened: - Brand Force 5 earned a 2026 Graphic Design USA American Package Design Award for its branding and packaging work on Silvio & Filomena’s Olive Oil. - The recognition marks the agency’s first package design project, first entry into the GDUSA American Package Design Awards and first national award for packaging. - Brand Force 5 is based in Bergen County, New Jersey.

The details: - Brand Force 5 added packaging design to its services earlier this year. - The project began with the brand story and the family behind Silvio & Filomena’s Olive Oil before the bottle and label were designed. - The custom logo uses two Fs to form an S. - One F represents Filomena and the other represents the couple’s daughter, Florence. - The S represents both Silvio and the couple’s daughter, Sue. - Dark green glass was chosen for a classic, premium look and to help protect the olive oil from light exposure. - The olive green used throughout the packaging came from the existing brand identity. - Brand Force 5 also created a holiday edition that adapted the original look for a seasonal product. - The agency has previously received national GDUSA recognition for graphic design, brochure design and logo design.

Between the lines: - The award suggests Brand Force 5’s packaging work is being judged on the same strategic footing as its branding and identity work, not as a standalone design exercise. - The family-centered storytelling appears to be the key differentiator in the packaging, giving the product a narrative that can matter on a crowded shelf. - Michael Maloney framed packaging as an extension of the agency’s existing philosophy rather than a broad services expansion, which signals a selective growth strategy. - The company’s placement in a national awards program dominated by larger brands can help strengthen credibility with prospective packaging clients.

What's next: - The winning Silvio & Filomena’s Olive Oil project will be published in GDUSA’s 63rd Package Design Awards Annual. - Brand Force 5 is likely to use the award as proof of concept for future packaging work. - The agency says it will continue focusing on branding, logo design, graphic design, brochure design and packaging design for clients locally and nationally.

The bottom line: - Brand Force 5’s first packaging project did more than launch a new service line. It earned a national award and gave the New Jersey agency a credible entry into packaging design.