June 1, 2019

New Zealand student designs winning Pol Roger gift box

Tess Costil of AUT University, New Zealand, has been announced as this year’s winner of the Winston Churchill Design Competition 2019.

The competition, which is run by Pentland in collaboration with Champagne Pol Roger, The International Churchill Society and ARTS THREAD, offers design students and graduates the opportunity to design the packaging for a limited edition Magnum of Pol Roger Brut Reserve, using art that celebrates the paintings of Sir Winston Churchill.

In celebration of this joy the colours, subjects and influences of the design are drawn from Churchill’s last ever painted work The Goldfish pool at Chartwell. This 1962 painting focuses on Churchill’s favourite place, a pond in the garden of his beloved home where he could be found feeding the goldfish right up until the end of his days.

Contest winner Tess Costil

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Miss Costil’s design pays homage to Churchill by uniting his love of champagne and oil painting. The design celebrates the enthusiasm, dedication and excitement Churchill experienced while taking a ‘joyride in his paint box’, as well as artfully respecting the Champagne Pol Roger style.

Alongside a cash prize and trip to The Pol Roger vineyard Epernay, France, Tess has been offered a paid work placement at Pentland Brands’ global headquarters in London.

Runners up included Anne Morgan, Edinburgh College of Art, and Victoria Derby, University of Leeds. The competition judges included:

• Laurence S. Gellar – Chairman, Trustees of the International Churchill Society
• R. Stephen Rubin – Pentland Group Chairman
• Laurent d’Harcourt – CEO of Pol Roger
• Jennie Churchill – great-grandaughter of Sir Winston Churchill
• Marina Brouger – great-grandaughter of Sir Winston Churchill
• Freya Miller – Marketing Manager, Pol Roger
• Barry Phipps – Churchill College, Cambridge, History of Art
• Alex Brownless – Director, ARTS THREAD
• Katie Greenyer – Creative Talent and Network Director, Pentland Brands

Katie Greenyer, Creative Talent and Network Director at Pentland Brands, said: “We received some incredible entries which made this year’s judging both the hardest and the most exciting yet! It’s always inspiring meeting such passionate and talented young designers, and I never fail to be impressed at the calibre of the designs we receive. Congratulations to our winners and we’d like to wish all our entrants the very best for the future.”

While many regard Sir Winston Churchill as the greatest statesman of the twentieth century, few know that he was an avid oil painter whose works were exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. He was also a loyal customer and friend of the Pol Roger family until his death in 1965.