HP presents latest Inkspiration Americas Awards

Presented at Dscoop Unleashing Print, taking place in Dallas, Texas, 16 awards were presented to 13 customers and designers in multiple categories across general commercial printing, and labels and packaging. Nearly 200 entries from more than 75 HP customers and designers were submitted to the competition of works produced on HP Indigo, PageWide Web Press and Scitex print technology.

Winning label and packaging companies included Brazil’s Indemetal Gráficos and Red Pepper Comunicacion, and US companies Hammer Packaging and Digital Label Solutions.

Indemetal Gráficos won in the ‘Spirits’ category, where Etimex claimed an honorable mention. Fellow Mexico-based company Red Pepper Comunicacion won in the ‘Home, Sports and Recreation’ category. The ‘Health, Beauty and Fashion’ category winner was GLS/Next Precision Marketing, with Hammer Packaging claiming the top prize in ‘Food and Beverage’. The People’s Choice Award was awarded to Digital Label Solutions.

Indemetal Gráficos produced the Dragon Beer label incorporating augmented reality to stand out in Brazil’s competitive and ever-growing beer market. The run of 17,000 labels for Cerveja Leuven was printed on holographic polyester film with a multicolored reflection, as well as gloss lamination for high impact. The HP Indigo WS6800 digital press ensured high-quality printing to incorporate augmented reality technology.

The brewery was able to charge a premium for the limited run, attracting and building loyalty among consumers who enjoy actively engaging with a brand in new and entertaining ways, downloading the customer’s app to access enhanced product content. The result was higher sales and led to increased production of the subsequent lot by 43 percent.

GLS/Next Precision Marketing produced packaging for an aromatherapy product, Vista Vapors’ Corked brand, using HP digital printing technology and recycled board to appeal to eco-minded, younger consumers. Printed on an HP Indigo 12000, 15,000 two-piece boxes were produced with unique cover designs and variable data, using 18pt GPA brown Kraft board with CMYK plus opaque white ink. The customer sold 3,000 kits in the first month, boosting sales by 25 percent in comparison to previous packaging.

Hammer Packaging’s winning entry saw it produce a series of labels for the Seven Teas brand of Tea Horse Road. Using HP digital printing, a highly accurate reproduction of a detailed artistic design was produced on a metallic substrate. The company attributed the label printing to the successful launch on the West Coast of the tea line, targeted to consumers who typically purchase healthy and organic foods. Printing on an HP Indigo WS6800 with metallic, pressure-sensitive media, the run consisted of 5,000 labels each for seven SKUs using CMYK, orange, violet and HP Indigo ElectroInk Premium White.

Digital Label Solutions won the People’s Choice Award with an artistic label for Alligator Ale, produced for The Brewery at Warehouse Nine on an HP Indigo WS6000. The California-based converter was challenged to create a unique beer label to showcase an artist’s vision and 'wow' brewery customers. A white BOPP label substrate was used to reproduce this vibrant, highly artistic design. Finishing included matte lamination, bright UV varnish and detailed die-cutting.

Rod Key Marketing Excellence Awards were also awarded to the companies identified as having the most creative marketing campaigns to promote their businesses. Bennett Graphics took the award for general commercial printing, with Red Pepper Comunicacion winning again in labels and packaging.

Dave Prezzano, HP Graphics Solutions Business Americas general manager, said: ‘HP digital printing technology is disrupting print applications across industries, sparking creative ideas for designers and brands and improving efficiencies. These award-winning prints are an inspiration to the HP Graphic Arts community. With leading edge technology from HP Indigo, PSPs can capture the growing power of digital print in almost every area of life and work, and realize new revenue opportunities.’