FINAT, the Europe-based association for the self-adhesive labeling industry, announced the winners of the 35th FINAT Label Award 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 design agency in the Netherlands) and Prof. Dr. 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.

Winners and Highly commended awards
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.

A summary of the entries from the top 12 countries and the number of awards they received:

– Turkey: 58 entries, 13 awards (22%)

– France: 27 entries, 12 awards (44%)

– UK: 23 entries, 7 awards (30%)

– Australia: 15 entries, 9 awards (60%)

– UAE: 15 entries, 2 awards (13%)

– USA: 14 entries, 8 awards (57%)

– Germany: 13 entries, 4 awards (30%)

– Denmark: 13 entries, 3 awards (23%)

– Sweden: 13 entries, 3 awards (23%)

– Austria: 12 entries, 3 awards (25%)

– Greece: 10 entries, 5 awards (50%)

– Spain: 10 entries, 4 awards (40%)

Best In Show and Group Winners – Judge comments
The Best in Show and Printing Processes Group Winner awards went to Collotype Labels (Italy) for the “Americano Gancia” label. The judges awarded the maximum number of technical points available to this label. This is a true combination label produced in 10 colours 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’, 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 colours. 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 colours.

The Non-Adhesive Group Winner is Forlabels S.A. (Greece) for ‘Gods and Goddesses Ouzo’. A neat little sleeve digitally printed in 5 colours on PET film. Each sleeve has the name of the god/goddess that is represented in the illustration, making it a really nice result with a fun element to the final sleeve.

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. The complexity of the label is in the converting and clever application of the labels to the actual phial. The die-cutting 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. A 210 line screen was used to achieve the extraordinary detail in the illustrations and the script type which can be seen throughout the label. 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 colour o 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 story telling and the simplicity of the printing processes used.

Category Winners

Group A, Marketing/End-Use:

• Wines – two joint winners: Collotype Labels (Australia) for ‘Atlas 2013 Shiraz Clare Valley’ and Collotype Labels North America Wine & Spirits (US) for ‘Dream No.7’
• Alcoholic Drinks: Etiketten Carini GmbH (Austria) for ‘Devil’
• Non-Alcoholic Drinks: Skanem Hobro A/S (Denmark) for ‘Fun L1ght Jordbaer kiwi’
• Food Products: Cabas S.A. (Greece) for ‘Minoan Gala – MITERRA Extra Virgin Olive Oil’
• Household: Doga Etiket (Turkey) for ‘Glade Multi Spray’
• Automotive: Holostik (India) for ‘Hero Motocorp Ltd’
• Cosmetics: Stratus Packaging (France) for ‘Nocibé Lotion 200ml’
• Pharmaceutical: Pragati Pack (India) for ‘SoraféNat 120 Tablets’
• Security: Schreiner Group (Germany) for ‘Parts Marking Label with Authentication Features’
• Promotional Coupons: Germark S.A. (Spain) for ‘Tatoos Famosa’
• Self-promotional labels: Royston Labels (UK) for ‘Royston Touching Beauty’
• Sets of labels: Cabas S.A. (Greece) for ‘Anassa Organics Tea’

Group B, Printing Processes:

• Flexography: Constantia Flexibles Labels Division (UK) for ‘Cranes Drinks’
• Rotary Letterpress: Cabas S.A. (Greece) for ‘Odysea – Greek Saganaki’
• Combination Printing: Collotype Labels (Italy) for ‘Americano Gancia’

Group C, Non-Adhesive Applications

• Non-Adhesive labels/tags: Skanem Scandinavia (Sweden) for ‘Grill Glaze Original BBQ’
• Sleeves: Forlabels S.A. (Greece) for ‘Gods & Goddesses Ouzo’

Group D, Innovation

• Tovenca AG (Switzerland) for ‘Cryo Etiketten’

Group E, Digital

• Liquid Toner Technology – two joint winners: Collotype Labels (US) for ‘Diströya’ and Collotype Labels North America Wine and Spirits (US) for ‘Tres Manos’
• Dry Toner technology: Kimoha Entrepreneurs (UAE) for ‘Ajmal Exclusive Room Freshener’

World Label Awards
Later this year, the FINAT entries for the 2015 L9 World Label Awards (WLA) competition will be selected for judging just before Labelexpo Europe in Brussels at the end of September.

In the 2014 WLA competition, FINAT received 3 main awards. The recipients were Stratus Packaging (France) for Wines & Spirits, Grȧficas Varias (Spain) for Digital and Schreiner Group (Germany) for Innovation. There were also four Honourable Mentions including Permapack AG (Switzerland) for Flexo Colour Process; Ҫiftsan Etiket (Turkey) for Letterpress Colour Process; Collotype Labels (Australia) for Combination Wines and Spirits; and Omnipack (Switzerland) for Combination Colour Process. A FINAT member has also won a coveted WLA Best of the Best award which will remain a secret until it is presented to the winning company during the Label Industry Global Awards ceremony to be held on the September 29 during Labelexpo Europe.

For more on the FINAT Label Awards, including images of some of the winners, check out the L&NW Slideshow.