Hello Clear-on-Clear Self-Adhesive Film

These last few years have been pretty eventful for people working within the labeling and packaging industry. It seems every year we have a new popular trend sweeping through the packaging and labeling world.  For the last few months, we have focused on the “green” packaging trend in many of our blog posts. But what seems to be the popular trend for the labeling side of our industry? Well, today we’re going to highlight Heineken’s switch from wet-glue paper labels to clear-on-clear self-adhesive film.
Heineken’s green bottle is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, so why would they want to change the way they design their labels? Apparently, the organization made the switch to clear-on-clear self-adhesive film because they wanted their brand to have a more sophisticated feel and be expressed with a modernized look.
They first launched their new green bottle in Italy of 2004.  Then, in 2006, Heineken introduced its new label with the Heineken Premium Light brand in the United States. Heineken saw favorable sales results within the first few months of the new label launch. J. Hess of Heineken said “considering the fact that we sold over 1 billion bottles since the introduction, you can imagine we do not regret that choice.” Shortly after the success, another product of Heineken, Amstel Light, adopted the clear-on-clear self-adhesive film label.  Many other brands of the Heineken Corporation are in the works to add the same labels to their products.
Sales have not been the only positive result from Heineken’s self-adhesive labels, but the green bottle is also contributing to “green” eco-friendly practices. “We are able to use less ink on the labels and have implemented a liner recycling program,” says P. van Rijssen, manager at Heineken Technical Services.
Experts are astounded and pleased with Heineken’s labeling advancement and they are instructing others to follow suit. Mark Ruijgrok, business director of beer and beverage for Avery Dennison Roll Material Europe, adds “self-adhesive labeling in beer is the future. With a leading global brand like Heineken, as well as domestic market leaders in the United States implementing self-adhesive technology, a new era of labeling beer bottles is rising fast.”
We believe Heineken has the right idea as it pertains to advancing with their labeling efforts.  What types of things are you doing to improve the labeling and packaging of your products? Leave us some comments below on what type of advances you would like to add to the image of your brand’s labels.