AWA Recognizes 6 Top Sleeve Label Performers

Published: May 23, 2017

MIAMI, FL | AWA Alexander Watson Assoc. announced the winners of its annual Sleeve Label Awards competition held in concert with its recent AWA International Sleeve Label Conference and Exhibition 2017 in Miami, FL. Six entries were honored this year of which two warranted Best Sleeve Label status.

"There seems to be no end to the creativity, technological advancement, and ‘on shelf’ ability to capture the attention of consumers that sleeve labeling is bringing to the packaging industry—and the winning entries in this year’s AWA Sleeve Label Awards certainly prove that!’ said Corey M Reardon, president and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Assoc.

The competition offered recognition within four specific categories for sleeve labeling and product decoration with special recognition for best-in-show entries. Once again, judging was performed by an independent panel of experts, including chairman Yolanda Simonsis, President & Editorial Director of Paper, Film & Foil Converter (YTC Media Inc.); Dr. Séamus Lafferty, president, Accraply, Inc.; Tom Hammer, product manager North America, Flint Group Narrow Web; and Will Schretzman, VP, Packaging, Verst Group Logistics.

Best sleeve label

After serious deliberation, the judges decided to reward two entries with recognition as Best Sleeve Label in this year’s competition, primarily because of the entries' very different approaches to attracting the consumer. The combination of "the tactile, glitter, and holographic effects" integrated into the design, and the excellence of the conversion and sleeve application for Supre Tan Snooki-brand labels earned the judges’ applause for McDowell Label and Screen Printing (US), who were also winners of the ‘Best Label’ award in the 2016 competition. The award was presented by Corey Reardon to Jay Luft, McDowell VP of technology.

Sharing the Best Sleeve Label title this year was Safety Seal Plastics (US) for its evocative label on Nine Locks Brewing Company’s Harvest Pumpkin Ale. The judges commended this label as "a piece of beauty" and "a multi-level experience," combining the textured, tactile sandy quality of the sleeve with its effectiveness on a simple container shape in a high-volume application. Michael Bedrosian, president and CEO of Safety Seal Plastics, received the award from Corey Reardon.

Category winners

Category awards were also presented for other worthy sleeve labels. Sleever International was recognized for its heat TD shrink sleeves for Chocomel bottles, which the judges described as looking "drinkable from a distance," as well as for their Star Wars labels on Volvic bottled water that took the prize in the environmental category thanks to their clever use of recyclable sleeve materials.

Roll-fed MD shrink sleeves on Nestlé Boost Chocolate Sensation nutritional drink bottles won Inland Packaging (US) an award—sleeves that the judges commended for "good quality graphics, good use of shape, a good seam, and proper distortion of final graphics." Evan Hoffman, new business development manager, Inland Packaging, collected the award.

In the new AWA Sleeve Label Awards category for sleeved cans, Hammer Packaging was recognized for Bai Bubbles Indonesia Apple Pear can sleeves which the judges said were "simple and classic" with "high-definition graphics [that] make the fruit come to life." Georg Ockun, VP, sales, for Hammer Packaging received the award.

Proof of quality

Corey Reardon thanked the judges for their sterling efforts, and added that this year’s award winners are "real proof of the quality we are seeing today across the sleeve labeling value chain, at every level."

Full details of the winners in the AWA Sleeve Label Awards 2017 are available via the AWA website. The 2018 competition will soon be open for entries, and prizewinners will collect their awards at next year’s AWA Sleeve Label Conference and Exhibition to be held in April 2018 in Atlanta, GA.