Holograms Light Up the Jimi Hendrix Experience

Published: May 01, 2001, By Edward Boyle, Contributing Editor

A quarter million oval onlay labels for “The Jimi Hendrix Experience,” the new acclaimed CD and LP collection of recordings by the late guitarist, were manufactured with Rainbow Holographic UniLustre from Unifoil Corp.

Holographic UniLustre is non-laminated dimensional metallized paper or board that enables complex holographic designs to be printed to register. The holographic labels were applied to a debossed purple suede-like material that is wrapped around the lids of the CD and LP boxes. Gold stamping foil embellishes the labels and boxes.

The special-edition collection is presented in telescoping CD and LP boxes manufactured by AGI/Klearfold Inc., a div. of Westvaco Packaging, Melrose Pk., IL. It is the brainchild of the Hendrix family and John McDermott, music catalog manager, Experience Hendrix (Seattle, WA). It chronicles the artist's career from 1966-1970 and includes previously unreleased recordings. To date, MCA Records Inc., Santa Monica, CA, ordered 210,000 CD and 45,000 LP versions for North American and European distribution.

“The package for this definitive collection of music from a unique, iconic artist had to be extraordinary,” says Jeremy Hammond, VP of marketing at MCA Records. “It had to reflect Hendrix's stature and create a sense of his era.”

Guided by a strong vision of what the Hendrix family, McDermott, and New York City graphic design studio Smay Vision wanted, AGI went about the task of developing the boxes. The company, which has extensive experience working with Unifoil Corp.'s UniLustre, sent samples to Smay Vision.

“We knew from the onset we wanted to use a holographic material, and UniLustre screamed ‘Jimi’ to us,” say graphic design partners Phil Yamall and Stan Stanski. Crown Roll Leaf supplied the rainbow holographic foil to Unifoil Corp. for the manufacture of the Holographic UniLustre.

Under the direction of Sylvia Zepeda, AGI project manager, special packaging, Smay Vision's prototypes made of purple velvet with an oval cutout eventually morphed into purple paisley debossed sueded boxes. The boxes were foil stamped in gold on the front panels and spines with the Rainbow Registered Holographic UniLustre oval label on the lids. A black and white photo of Hendrix and his band by Karl Ferris, which Smay Vision treated in Adobe Photoshop adding an orange background and tint, is printed on the label.

“The holographic label really brought the iconic image to life,” according to McDermott.

Inside the telescoping CD box are four jewel boxes held in a vacuum-formed tray. Eight LPs are housed in a 12×12-in. box. Both units hold a lavish, saddle-stitched book of rare Hendrix photographs.

The oval crack-and-peel labels made with 8-pt Rainbow Holographic UniLustre were printed four-color process, no white, with UV inks on a MAN Roland press. The label was keylined with a ⅛-in. gold foil stamp. A special water-based varnish was developed by AGI chemists to protect the label and foil from scratching.
Supplier Information
Unifoil Corp., Passaic Pk., NJ; 973/365-2000; unifoil.com

Crown Roll Leaf, Paterson, NJ; 973/742/4000; 800/631-383; crownrollleaf.com

MAN Roland Inc. Westmont, IL; 630/920/2000; 800/323-5543; manroland.com