A splash of colour gives a lift to the 2019 FINAT Label Competition

The dramatic image of a bird in full flight caught the imagination of the judges with the design judge commenting ” The story unfolds in three layers of labels, Craft at its best”. We are referring to “Alto del Carmen Barricas de Selección” entered by Multi-Color Corporation, Chile, which, with the impressive array of finishing technologies used, there was no doubt that this label justifiably earned the title “Best in Show” in the 2019 FINAT Label Competition.

The label also won the Marketing/End-Use Group Award for Multi-Color Corporation, Chile at the 39^th annual event which showcased yet again labels of the very highest quality. The competition is organised by the international European Label association FINAT and has an expert and dedicated team of judges led by Tony White of AWA Consulting. This year he was supported by Murat Sipahioglu of Fin Etiket, Steve Wood of Steve Wood Services and Steven de Cleen of ProudDesign. We were also joined by visiting judge FINAT’s scout Noel Mitchell.

The competition attracted 285 entries from 45 companies representing 26 countries. The awards were presented during the European Label Forum (ELF) in Copenhagen. In addition to the 27 Category and 5 Group winners a total of 93 Highly Commended certificates were distributed during the event. This year, Turkey led the way with 37 entries. Not far behind was the United Kingdom with 30 entries and Germany with 25. The number of entries in each class was led by Wines (58) with Alcoholic Drinks (33) and Cosmetics (19) not far behind. The entries in the purely digital categories was impressive with 21. It must be noted that many entries in the Marketing Group made use of digital technology either on its own or in combination with other printing processes.

The Best in Show entry from Multi-Color Corporation, Chile stood out from all the high-quality entries selected for the 2019 competition. A clear film was used to create the impression of a bird soaring in space. The two paper sections of the label added further interest with the hot foiling giving that touch of luxury. The clever use of high gloss varnish to add depth to the body and wings of the bird gave the whole label great visual appeal.

Group Winners

The group awards are organised into five main groups including Marketing/End-uses, Printing processes, Non-Adhesive applications, Innovation and Electronic printing and Digital printing.

The winner in the Printing Processes Group was ?iftsan Etiket, Turkey for Céu Shampoo. This was an excellent example of screen printing at its best. The small type was sharp and highly legible and contrasted well with the larger brand logo in black. Printed in 4 colours the raised screen images combined with the Braille characters gave the label a very tactile feel. A high degree of skill was used to produce this label.

The Non-Adhesive Group winner was Forlabels S.A., Greece for ADAMS Ouzo Santorini. Printed digitally this colourful sleeve was designed to allow the customer to easily carry a small bottle of his favourite drink when travelling. A white flexo primer was used to provide an opaque base for the four colour printing on the back side of the PET film base.

The group award winner for Innovation was Schreiner Group GmbH & Co. KG. Germany for Smart Blister Pack. The concept behind this entry was to ensure that a patient is keeping to their medication regime. The medication is monitored remotely electronically and informs the clinician, via an electronic circuit, the time at which the medication is removed and is being used as prescribed. The data can be transmitted to a smartphone app using NFC or Bluetooth.

The winner of the Digital Printing Group was Germark S.A., Spain for Un Rêve Doux. This label is used as a backdrop to display a particular French perfume. The illustration gives the impression of a painting depicting Paris in a past century. The matt varnish and the hot foil gold framing add to the atmosphere.

A colourful Collection

The chair of the FINAT judging panel Tony White comments: “With more winning entries than previous years (120) we were delighted by the wide use of colour. I am always amazed that the degree of quality is not only maintained but continues to improve each year. We are always surprised by the imaginative ideas presented in the innovation and security classes which shows, by researching the needs of the customer, the label industry is able to introduce new, and in some cases, potentially lifesaving solutions. This is definitely an exciting and expanding industry to be involved in.”