The results of the 2017 L9 World Label Awards (WLA) competition have seen 24 winners and a number of entries receiving honorable mentions selected from the global label and package printing industry.
The L9 is an alliance of global label associations formed to jointly formulate policies and collecting strategic information of global interest to the worldwide label industry.
The WLA competition is judged by an international panel of judges representing each of the participating associations. The judging took place in Brussels the day before Labelexpo Europe 2017.
All of the L9 label associations are invited, each year, to submit entries for the WLA competition. This year the Indian label association, LMAI, took part for the first time in several years. Other associations involved in the 2017 competition included Finat (Europe), TLMI (US), JFLP (Japan), FPLMA (Australia), SALMA (New Zealand) and PEIAC (China).
In order to be considered for entry in the WLA competition, a label converter must first have won an award from its local association’s competition. Each L9 association is permitted to submit one entry in each class, with entries from individual converters not accepted.
The awards structure includes 22 classes covering all the principal printing processes and market applications.
Winner: Rapid Labels, New Zealand (SALMA) for NZ Sunscreen Pure Shade
Winner: Label Impressions, US (TLMI) for Deva Curl Buildup Buster
Winner: Label Force, Australia (FPLMA) for John West Calamari
Honorable Mention: Admark Visual Imaging, New Zealand (SALMA) for Moana
Winner: Takara Pac, Japan (JFLP) for Chablis Wine Label
Honorable Mention: Rapid Labels, New Zealand (SALMA) for Craggy Range Wild Rock Pinot Gris 2016
Honorable Mention: Royston Labels, UK (Finat) for King’s Cross
Honorable Mention: Cabas, Greece (Finat) for Agro.VI.M. Olive Oil Kalamata PDO 1L
Winner: Maru-Sin, Japan (JFLP) for Safety Drive
Winner: Sato Printing, Japan (JFLP) for Daimyo Futomaki (Sushi Roll)
Honorable Mention: Leading Label, New Zealand (SALMA) for Pumpkin Seed Oil
Winner: Sato Printing, Japan (JFLP) for Apple and Lime Liqueur “Ringo Hime”
Winner: Panprint, New Zealand (SALMA) for True Honey Co. 300+ MGO
Joint Winner: Beijing YaZhengYuan Colourful Printing, China (PEIAC) for Jomo Label
Joint Winner: Shinwa Label Printing, Japan (JFLP) for Yamagata Sukaranbo
Joint Winner: Seieido Printing, Japan (JFLP) for Japanese Sake “Yamahousi”
Joint Winner: Panprint, New Zealand (SALMA) for Pacific Potion Sauvignon Blanc
Honorable mention: Multi-Color Corporation, North America Wine and Spirits, US, (Finat) for Fortnight
Honorable mention: Multi-Color Australia (FPLMA) for D’SAS
Winner: Rapid Labels, New Zealand (SALMA) for Floating Oil Snapper
Honorable mention: Label House, Australia (FPLMA) for Pale Ale Birra Zonzo
Winner: McDowell Label & Screen Printing, US (FPLMA) for Performance Nutrition
Winner: Sunmec, Japan (JFLP) for Denen Fuka Box Label
Winner: Multi-Color Corporation, US (TLMI) for Octopoda Cabernet Wine
Honorable mention: Maru-Sin, Japan (JFLP) for NEI (Japanese Shochu)
Winner: Digital Label Solutions, US (TLMI) for Kia –The Extra Mile
Honorable mention: Ҫiftsan Etiket Ambalaj San. Ve Ticaret, Turkey (Finat) for Winx Body Lotion 75ml
Winner: Syracuse Label & Surround Printing, US (TLMI) for Ryze Vodka
Honorable mention: Marzek Etiketten, Austria (Finat) for Heathland Whisky
Honorable mention: Multi-Color Australia (FPLMA) for Silken Beastie Shiraz
Winner: Any Graphics, India (LMAI) for ComAD Designs
Honorable mention: Sibel Industry, Japan (JFLP) for Vronique & Claudette
Honorable mention: Stratus Packaging, France (Finat) for Shampoo Color Lômé Paris
Winner: Gravure Packaging, New Zealand (SALMA) for Chobani 170g
Honorable mention: Multi-Color Wales, UK (Finat) for Heineken Green Identity
Winner: Stratus Packaging, France (Finat) for Multipages les recettes Végétales sans gluten
Joint Winner: Source Labels, UK (Finat) for Fortnum and Mason Beluga 000 Fresh Caviar
Joint Winner: Shibatasesco, Japan (JFLP) for Instant Pocket Label
Joint Winner: Mudrika Labels, India (LMAI) for Colgate Deep Cleaning
This is the fifth year that the competition has included five additional awards representing the ‘Best of the Best’ entries from the principal printing processes selected during the judging process. The awards will be presented at the Label Industry Global Awards event, to be held during Labelexpo Americas 2018 in September.
The winners have been selected from the winning entries in the L9 WLA competition from the following classes: Flexography, Letterpress, Offset Litho, Combination Printing and Digital Printing.
The judges for the 2017 competition included Tony White (Finat), Mike Buystedt (TLMI), Harveer Sahni (LMAI), Tony Wheeler (SALMA), Andrew Maxwell (FPLMA), Masaaki Yoshitake (JFLP) and Jean Li (PEIAC).
White, chair of the judging panel, said: ‘Never will a label have been examined in such detail, even by the converter’s QC department. We expect a high standard of printing at this level and we also look for the quality of the design of the label. We continue to be surprised by the quality of the entries year-on-year.’
L9 WLA competition winners are a regular feature in the L&L Yearbook, with the latest edition available to read online here
David Pittman is former deputy editor of Labels & Labeling.
Tarsus Exhibitions & Publishing Ltd
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