Self adhesive labels provide the aesthetics and functionality needed in beverage markets

By Jules Lejeune

Beverage Market Trends in Product Branding

By Rick Harris, product manager, FLEXcon

Pressure-sensitive (p-s) labels continue to make steady inroads into the beverage label industry for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that they bring more opportunities and options into this type of labeling than alternative methods used today.

In the battle for consumer preference, beverage manufacturers continue to demand cutting-edge, upscale label graphics that command greater shelf presence and help generate brand loyalty. Rapid technological improvements in graphic design and printing capability show that beverage manufacturers are now more than ever expecting their brands to stand out among the competition. As an example, label manufacturers and printers are offering high-end “no-label-look” graphics that match the label stock to the container texture, color, and gloss level.

P-S film endures the wear and tear of filling lines, withstands the temperature extremes of pasteurization and ice chests, and meets reduced “design-to-shelf” timeframes. Film solutions will easily conform and bond to a variety of container shapes and types for primary and neck label applications, making labeling in line as efficient as possible.

In response to the need for beverage manufacturers to stand out in the crowd, the ability to create metallized and holographic films further enhances the ability to produce that eye-catching visual appeal brand owners demand today. Carrying the beverage’s thematic graphics from label to shelf art and on to in-store advertising promotes brand continuity, enhancement, and loyalty. Entire branded ‘zones’ can be created using the same graphics in all aspects of product presentation.

Sustainability is a key factor in today’s beverage industry. In response, p-s film manufacturers are producing “greener” down-gauged flexible films that tend to be more economical, provide a good diecutting base, and exceptional resistance to shrinkage, moisture, humidity, and product contents. Thinner label stock increases the number of labels that can be printed per roll and helps answer the greener demands being made more and more by brand owners.

In short, p-s film labeling for beverage applications offers more—a greater range of opportunities for product branding, increased production uptime, greater durability from in-line filling through transport, greener options, and less waste.

I believe that it is to the whisky and brandy distillers of Europe that we, in the self-adhesive label industry, should drink a long toast. They were one of the key early market sectors to realize the potential of our labelling technology—and to adopt it. For me, there is nothing like a full-on, solid gold foil label, heavily embossed and featuring a truly complex, ornate shape, for promoting the extraordinary capabilities of self-adhesive labelling.

In fact, along with pharmaceuticals, whisky and brandy labelling genuinely led the way—back in the 1970s—in kick-starting our industry's advance into the major beverage market segments. Today, as well as prime whiskies and Cognacs, self-adhesive labels also adorn bottles of white spirits and an enormous selection of wines—both cherished vintages and supermarket brands.

The 'no label look'

Following its success with golden spirits, self-adhesive labelling's introduction of a clear self-adhesive plastic film that could be adhesive-coated, printed, and applied to clear glass bottles to provide what we describe as the 'no label look' brought the manufacturers of gin, vodka, and other white spirits on board. For them, it was possible to deliver, printed on the one label, different messages (front and back label text and design, for instance) visible as the bottle is turned. Clear plastic films and their 'no label look' have become the standard for white spirits today.

Wine: A world of label options

Completing the picture, most recently the self-adhesive label has established itself in the wine market. The sheer variability of the choice of label face material and label adhesive make it easy for a self-adhesive label printer to create a label for a wine producer that meets every need—both in terms of good looks and functionality.

If a beautifully textured antique laid paper label is required for a precious vintage, self-adhesive label technology can provide it—even in very short print runs. And what is more, the label—delivered on its protective release liner—can be coated with an adhesive that will last, without staining, for the stored life of the bottle, and resist fungal/damp ingress that may occur during cellar ageing.

Labels for white and rosé wines, served at lower temperatures, are often required to withstand lengthy storage in ice buckets without delaminating. And, of course, the clear plastic film label also has a role to play here. Its impermeable print surface complements good-looking white wines, and offers excellent ice-bucket performance. Water-resistant film labels—white, clear, and metallized—are also ideal for wines destined for cellar storage, coupled with a long-ageing adhesive.

Your partner of choice

Accessing the many benefits of these clever materials is very much a question of engaging with the expert self-adhesive label printers and suppliers. With an in-depth knowledge of the available material options, and fully briefed on the requirements of the actual label application, a self-adhesive label printer can employ the versatility of today's narrow-web printing presses to fulfil a number of functions. First, the label printer can deliver unmatched aesthetics, printing in as many as 16 colors, with additional surface enhancements such as foiling, color-changing inks, embossing/debossing, and tactile varnishes. But that's not all. Particularly for precious vintages, self-adhesive label printers are able to deliver a number of visible and invisible authentication devices within the label print (and even under the label's surface) that, together, can effectively counter the counterfeiters. This capability has proved invaluable—not just for wines, but also across the whole range of alcoholic beverages.

Limited editions, personalization

'Limited editioning' of wines or spirits is also possible—down to the level of single-bottle personalization—and some wine producers choose to purchase pre-printed quantities of their 'generic' master label, and then overprint, in-house, on a small tabletop press, with details of the wine varietal and year of bottling.

About FINAT

FINAT is a worldwide association for manufacturers of self-adhesive labels and related products, with 600 members in more than 50 countries around the world. pP

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Raising a Glass to Self-Adhesive Labels