Finat names 2019 Label Competition winners

The dramatic image of a bird in full flight, printed by Multi-Color Corporation, Chile, caught the imagination of the judges to win Best in Show at the 2019 Finat Label Competition.

The awards were announced during the Finat European Label Forum in Copenhagen. 

Multi-Color Chile’s ‘Alto del Carmen Barricas de Selección’ label used an impressive array of finishing technologies. The judging panel said: ‘The story unfolds in three layers of labels. Craft at its best.’ The label also won the Marketing/End-Use Group Award for Multi-Color Corporation, Chile, at the 39th annual event. 

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 a touch of luxury. The clever use of a high gloss varnish to add depth to the body and wings of the bird gave the whole label great visual appeal.

The competition is organized by European Label association Finat and has an expert 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, Steven de Cleen of ProudDesign, and visiting judge and Finat scout Noel Mitchell.

The competition attracted 285 entries from 45 companies representing 26 countries. In addition to the 27 category and five 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. There were 21 entries in the purely digital categories. Many entries in the Marketing Group made use of digital technology either on its own or in combination with other printing processes.

Group winners 
The group awards are organized 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 Çiftsan 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 four colors, the raised screen images combined with the Braille characters gave the label a very tactile feel.

The Non-Adhesive Group winner was Forlabels, Greece, for ADAMS Ouzo Santorini. Printed digitally, this colorful sleeve was designed to allow the customer to easily carry a small bottle of their favorite drink when travelling. A white flexo primer was used to provide an opaque base for the 4-colour printing on the back side of the PET film base.

The group award winner for Innovation was Schreiner Group, 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, 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.

Tony White, chair of the Finat judging panel, said: ‘With more winning entries than previous years (120) we were delighted by the wide use of color. 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 life-saving solutions. This is definitely an exciting and expanding industry to be involved in.’