07.21.15
During the FINAT European Label Forum, the association announced the winners of the 35th FINAT Label Awards Competition. Welcoming several new contestants to the growing portfolio of high quality entrants, the number of participants increased slightly over last year to 260 award entries from 45 companies representing 25 countries. A new group – Digital – was introduced this year to recognize the significant part that digital printing is playing in the narrow web industry. This group included three categories covering the main digital printing technologies: solvent toner, dry toner and inkjet.
The judging panel was chaired by industry expert Tony White, who was supported by regulars Steve Wood (UK), Murat Sipahioglu (Turkey), Rik Olthof (design expert from Cartils Branding & Packaging, a design agency in the Netherlands) and Professor Efe Gencoglu (vice manager of Marmara University, Turkey, and new chairman of the Turkish Label Competition).
“The diversity of applications never ceases to amaze us, and this year was no exception with 81 entries winning awards, including a Best in Show and a special Judges award. The quality level in general has improved with fewer entries being rejected for mis-register! This made the selection of the category and group winners all the more difficult. Many of the designs can be described as adventurous and eye-catching which indicates that brand owners are using more visual approaches to attract impulse purchase customers,” said White.
In addition to the Group and Category Winners, 61 Highly Commended Certificates were awarded. The Best in Show, Group, Category and Judges’ awards were presented at FINAT’s European Label Forum during the awards presentation ceremony on June 11. The FINAT winners of the 2014 WLA judging, which took place just before Labelexpo in Chicago last year, were also recognized during the ceremony with the presentation of their awards.
The Best in Show and Printing Processes Group Winner awards went to Collotype Labels (Italy) for its Americano Gancia label. The judges awarded the maximum number of technical points available to this label, saying “This is a true combination label produced in 10 colors using flexo, screen, offset litho, cold foil, hot foil and varnishing, all in a single pass. The design is clean and bright and the gold foil is very well executed with the gold type faces and medallions very, very legible. The finished result is testament to the amount of control required throughout the whole production process from prepress through printing to finishing.”
The Marketing/End-Uses Group Winner is Collotype Labels North America Wines & Spirits (USA) for Dream No. 7, described as “a delightfully complex-looking label with hidden depths. This label has an almost abstract appearance with non-descript shapes “floating” throughout the ever changing background colors. The stark white, screen printed label title and the subtle complex embossing gives this label a definite quality lift. The different levels of varnish add depth to the final result which is printed in 7 colors.”
The Non-Adhesive Group Winner is Forlabels S.A. (Greece) for Gods and Goddesses Ouzo. “A neat little sleeve, digitally printed in five colors on PET film. Each sleeve has the name of the god/goddess that is represented in the illustration, adding a fun element to the final sleeve,” the judges said.
The Innovation Group Winner is Tovenca AG (Swizerland) for Cryo-Etiketten. The label is designed to fit into a system for the cryogenic storage, preservation and handling of biological samples. Judges said, “The complexity of the label is in the converting and clever application of the labels to the actual phial. The diecutting had to be precise and capable of being applied and stored in freezer conditions. The innovation is mainly in the end use application.”
The Digital Group Winner is Collotype Labels (US) for Diströya, “a fearsome looking label with plenty of action,” said the judges. “A 210 line screen was used to achieve extraordinary detail in the illustrations and the script type which can be seen throughout. The embossing and debossing is in exact register as is the foil stamping and the spot varnishes. The detail in the four medals is easily legible and the touch of adding a blue stamp adds a touch of color to the end result. The background effect of the label being printed on parchment paper is a genius touch.”
The Judges Special Award was given to Cabas S.A. (Greece) for Anassa Organics Tea.The judges considered that this set of labels was outstanding in its storytelling and the simplicity of the printing processes used.
The judging panel was chaired by industry expert Tony White, who was supported by regulars Steve Wood (UK), Murat Sipahioglu (Turkey), Rik Olthof (design expert from Cartils Branding & Packaging, a design agency in the Netherlands) and Professor Efe Gencoglu (vice manager of Marmara University, Turkey, and new chairman of the Turkish Label Competition).
“The diversity of applications never ceases to amaze us, and this year was no exception with 81 entries winning awards, including a Best in Show and a special Judges award. The quality level in general has improved with fewer entries being rejected for mis-register! This made the selection of the category and group winners all the more difficult. Many of the designs can be described as adventurous and eye-catching which indicates that brand owners are using more visual approaches to attract impulse purchase customers,” said White.
In addition to the Group and Category Winners, 61 Highly Commended Certificates were awarded. The Best in Show, Group, Category and Judges’ awards were presented at FINAT’s European Label Forum during the awards presentation ceremony on June 11. The FINAT winners of the 2014 WLA judging, which took place just before Labelexpo in Chicago last year, were also recognized during the ceremony with the presentation of their awards.
The Best in Show and Printing Processes Group Winner awards went to Collotype Labels (Italy) for its Americano Gancia label. The judges awarded the maximum number of technical points available to this label, saying “This is a true combination label produced in 10 colors using flexo, screen, offset litho, cold foil, hot foil and varnishing, all in a single pass. The design is clean and bright and the gold foil is very well executed with the gold type faces and medallions very, very legible. The finished result is testament to the amount of control required throughout the whole production process from prepress through printing to finishing.”
The Marketing/End-Uses Group Winner is Collotype Labels North America Wines & Spirits (USA) for Dream No. 7, described as “a delightfully complex-looking label with hidden depths. This label has an almost abstract appearance with non-descript shapes “floating” throughout the ever changing background colors. The stark white, screen printed label title and the subtle complex embossing gives this label a definite quality lift. The different levels of varnish add depth to the final result which is printed in 7 colors.”
The Non-Adhesive Group Winner is Forlabels S.A. (Greece) for Gods and Goddesses Ouzo. “A neat little sleeve, digitally printed in five colors on PET film. Each sleeve has the name of the god/goddess that is represented in the illustration, adding a fun element to the final sleeve,” the judges said.
The Innovation Group Winner is Tovenca AG (Swizerland) for Cryo-Etiketten. The label is designed to fit into a system for the cryogenic storage, preservation and handling of biological samples. Judges said, “The complexity of the label is in the converting and clever application of the labels to the actual phial. The diecutting had to be precise and capable of being applied and stored in freezer conditions. The innovation is mainly in the end use application.”
The Digital Group Winner is Collotype Labels (US) for Diströya, “a fearsome looking label with plenty of action,” said the judges. “A 210 line screen was used to achieve extraordinary detail in the illustrations and the script type which can be seen throughout. The embossing and debossing is in exact register as is the foil stamping and the spot varnishes. The detail in the four medals is easily legible and the touch of adding a blue stamp adds a touch of color to the end result. The background effect of the label being printed on parchment paper is a genius touch.”
The Judges Special Award was given to Cabas S.A. (Greece) for Anassa Organics Tea.The judges considered that this set of labels was outstanding in its storytelling and the simplicity of the printing processes used.