11.21.13
Pernod Ricard says it wanted to maintain a consistent brand image with its other products while developing a unique look and feel to grab consumer attention on the shelves. According to Eastman, Embrace copolyester helps differentiate products by promoting brand image, increasing sales, attracting consumer attention and encouraging brand loyalty.
“Malibu Red is pushing the boundaries of existing categories so we wanted a groundbreaking design,” says Valérie Chhoeu, global brand manager, Malibu. “Unlike the traditional opaque white sleeve and bottle Malibu is known for, the see-through sleeve and silver and red colors bring a modern, premium feel to the Malibu Red bottle.”
Tough material, bold colors
The toughness, clarity and printability of Eastman Embrace copolyester made it a good fit for the label’s high-end look and feel. To achieve the mirror-image, metallic silver and red look, the image was reverse-printed on the clear, water-like label to bring out bold colors and enhance graphics. Embrace allows for surface printing with existing technology and without special pretreatment.
“The shrink memory of Eastman Embrace copolyester is ideal for the bottle, which has a long base and a short, narrow neck,” says Alan Wolk, vice president of innovation and technical support with Gilbreth, a subsidiary of Cenveo Corporation and a shrink sleeve label manufacturer in Croydon, PA, USA, which prints Malibu Red bottle labels. “The print characteristics of Embrace marry perfectly with the bottle.”
Gilbreth helped pioneer the shrink sleeve labels market over 40 years ago as one of the first to introduce gravure printing on shrink film. In 1983, Gilbreth designed the tamper-evident band in response to the Tylenol tampering incident. It also developed the full-body shrink sleeve label, and its engineers solved art distortion problems on high-shrink films.
Eastman Embrace copolyester has greater than 75 percent ultimate shrinkage, making shrinkage around the neck possible. In addition, with its maximum shrinkage potential and ability to shrink around highly contoured or complex containers, the company says brand owners can potentially eliminate secondary packaging, such as tamper-evident bands and plastic rings, when using Embrace.
“Packaging drives sales and attracts consumer attention on retailer shelves,” says Ronnie Little, market development manager, specialty plastics packaging, Eastman Chemical Company. “We are pleased the Eastman Embrace family of resins can provide opportunities to enhance brand experience through increased functionality and sustainable packaging.”
The result of this collaboration between Eastman, Malibu and Gilbreth, the companies say, is a product with a high-end, vibrant label that gives a distinctive shelf presence and differentiates itself from competitive products.“A consumer makes a purchase decision within just a few seconds, and eye-catching graphics on a product is one way to get their immediate attention,” says Wolk.
Malibu Red is currently available in the US, UK, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, S. Africa and the Netherlands.