The judging panel ‘regulars’ Murat Sipahioglu (Avery Dennison, Turkey), Steve Wood (UK) and chairman Tony White (UK) were joined by Rik Olthof (Cartils, international branding and packaging design consultants with offices in Amsterdam and London) and Ian Healey (Editorial Director, Dr. Harnisch Verlag, Germany).

Best in Show and Group Winners

The Best in Show and the Marketing/End-Uses Group winner awards went to Smyth/Dow Industries, USA for the Victoria’s Secret Sheer Love label (photo). The great visual impact of this label was the feature, which grabbed the attention of the judges who unanimously chose this label as the best in show and an excellent ambassador for the cosmetic category. The label is a combination of screen and flexo printing using 9 colours and very sharp foiling especially in the gold type areas makes this label stand out. The deep black background contrasts with the pink and gold of the two roses. The metallised film base gives the label that extra “lift”.

The Printing Processes Group winner was Rotakett AB, from Sweden for Astrakan Guld äppelcider halvtorr (Kiviks Musteri). The combination of three screen and five flexo inks gave the images on this label an almost 3D effect.

The Non-Adhesive Group was won by a newcomer Collotype Labels Chile for Sleeve Havana Club Añejo Reserva, a very bright, bold and breezy label printed by flexography on a PET substrate.

The Innovation Group was shared between Stratus Packaging from France for Etiquette IXcode for banks and the Schreiner Group from Germany for Electric Conductive Films (ECF).

Last year's change in rules whereby Wines and Cosmetics were judged within their own categories was continued with great success. The wine category was responsible for 39 entries (16% of all entries) and cosmetics 54 (22%). This continues to encourage companies to enter in other categories with more chance of winning an award. Once again the food and alcoholic drinks categories were the second most popular in the marketing group with 18% of the total entries between them, whilst flexographic printing continued to be the most popular dedicated printing process.

The number of Marketing Group entries continues to dominate the total number of entries (178) compared to the Printing Processes Group (46), a ratio of 4:1. The top countries entering and winning awards include Turkey (34 entries, 9 awards), Germany (23 entries, 12 awards) and India (19 entries, 8 awards).

Many of the winners from this competition will be entered in the World Label Awards competition, which will be judged just before Labelexpo in Brussels in September. In the 2012 World Label Awards competition Finat received 3 main awards: two for the Schreiner Group (Germany) and one for the Marzek Group (Austria). Honourable Mention awards included Skanem Skurup (Sweden), F.S. Etiketten (Germany), Etimag (Turkey) and Collotype (USA).  

The winners of the 2013 Finat label competition

A. Marketing/End-uses Group: Group winner is Smyth/Dow Industries, USA for the Victoria's Secret Sheer Love label

Category Awards:

• A1-Wines: Collotype Labels, Australia for Carnival Love
• A2-Alcoholic Drinks: Label Apeel Ltd, UK for Gilpin’s Extra Dry Gin
• A3-Non-Alcoholic Drinks: Pragati Pack (India) Pvt. Ltd., India for The Boston Tea Company
• A4-Food Products: Skanem Skurup, Sweden for Önos Äppelmos
• A5-Household Products: Skanem Poznan, Poland for Buwi
• A7-Cosmetics: Smyth/Dow Industries, USA for Victoria’s Secret Sheer Love
• A8-Pharmaceutical: Flexiket A/S, Denmark for Ènaxin
• A9-Security: The Schreiner Group GmbH & Co, Germany for Automotive Security Logistic Label
• A10-Booklets: August Faller AG, Germany for Supradyn
• A11-Promotional Coupons: Novelprint Sistemas de Etiquetagem Ltda, Brazil for Philadelphia Light Promotional label
• A12-Self Promotional Labels: Marzek Group, Austria for Wein-Leporello folder
• A13-Sets of Labels: Cabas SA, Greece for Gaea-Trikalinos Greek Fleur de Sel

B: Printing Processes Group: Group winner is Rotakett AB, Sweden for Astrakan Guld äppelcider halvtorr (Kiviks Musteri)

Category Awards:

• B1-Flexographic Printing: Flexiket A/S, Denmark for LEGO City Stickers
• B3-Screen Printing (Silk Screen): Kolibri Labels B.V, The Netherlands for A Nice Liqueur
• B4-Reel fed Offset Lithography: Collotype Labels, Australia for The Convict
• B5-Digital Printing: Omnipack AG, Switzerland for Vepool Glas Kristall Edelstahl
• B6-Combination Printing: Rotakett AB, Sweden for Astrakan Guld äppelcider halvtorr (Kiviks Musteri)

C: Non Adhesive Applications Group:  Group winner is Collotype Labels, Chile for Havana Club Añejo Reserva

Category Awards:

• C1-Non-adhesive labels/tags: Skanem Poznan, Poland for Eveline BB
• C2-Cartons: PragatiPack (India) Pvt. Ltd., India for Fiama Di Wills
• C3-Sleeves: Collotype Labels, Chile for Havana Club Añejo Reserva

D: Innovation:  this category has two joint Group winners: Schreiner Group GmbH & Co,  Germany for Electric Conductive Films (ECF) and Stratus Packaging, France for Etiquette IXcode for banks.

Special Mentions: This year the judges selected two entries for Special Mentions: Hennessy VSOP by Rotakett AB, Sweden and The S Collection by EL Yaman Group, Lebanon for their visual impact.