Beefeater Gin partners with CCL for on-shelf impact

The Spirit of London limited edition bottle for Beefeater Gin, the world’s most awarded gin, utilizes a promotion that ‘mixes patriotism with style and a hint of eccentricity to capture the essence of modern London’, CCL Decorative Sleeves said. 

The sleeve, applied to 70cl, 75cl and one-liter bottles, features a Union Jack design, while the brand’s intrinsic link to London Beefeaters is maintained by a cut-out silhouette of the Beefeater figure on the standard bottle label.  Further, an image of Londoner Justin O’Shea, which was used in the campaign, is incorporated into the Beefeater silhouette.

CCL Decorative Sleeves said advanced technical and printing skills were required to achieve the desired effect for such a complex sleeve design. 

50-micron PET high shrink material printed in nine colors was used, with the Union Jack created through strong metallic blue and red inks on high opacity white in order to minimize any possible show through of the external design onto the internal image.

The image of Justin O’Shea is printed on the inside of the clear part of the sleeve to sit within the silhouette of the Beefeater.

To ensure accurate placement of the sleeve onto the filled bottles, all four sides have to be orientated correctly, while precise weld and fold tolerances during production support the critical horizontal alignment necessary to ensure a perfect fit each time.

Katy Buchan, product design manager at Beefeater brand owner Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard, said: ‘This special design really creates a stir on shelf and helps to capture the attention and imagination of gin lovers around the world.

‘It was an ambitious project and we are delighted with the high levels of service and technical support from CCL Decorative Sleeves that have helped us to achieve such an iconic look.’