New Zealand label printers won five categories at the 2017 World Label Awards in Brussels while Perth-based Label Force picked up the Flexo Colour Process award.
The L9 group of international label associations - including FINAT (Europe), TLMI (USA), JFLP (Japan), FPLMA (Australia), SALMA (New Zealand), PEIAC (China) and LMAI (India) - are invited each year to submit entries for the World Label Awards, with judging taking place in Brussels the day before Labelexpo Europe.
Auckland-based printers Panprint and Rapid Labels each won twice - Panprint won the Offset Line category and was joint winner in Offset Wine/Spirits, while Rapid Labels won the Flexo Line and Combination Line and was awarded an Honorable Mention (HM) in Flexo Wine/Spirit. Wellington’s Gravure Packaging won the Gravure category, while Admark Visual Imaging of Hamilton won an HM in Flexo Colour Process, and Christchurch printer Leading Label won an HM for Letterpress Colour Process.
WA printer Label Force won the Flexo Colour Process category for its ‘John West Calamari’ labels. Multi-Color Australia won two HMs - for Offset Wine/Spirits and Digital Wine/Spirits, and Label House Australia picked up an HM in the Combination Line category.
The full results:
Class 1: Flexo Line
Winner SALMA: Rapid Labels, New Zealand for “NZ Sunscreen Pure Shade”
Class 2: Flexo Line/Screen
Winner TLMI: Label Impressions Inc., USA for “Deva Curl Buildup Buster”
Class 3: Flexo Colour Process
Winner FPLMA: Label Force, Australia for “John West Calamari”
HM SALMA: Admark Visual Imaging Ltd, New Zealand for “Moana”
Class 4: Flexo Wine/Spirit
Winner JFLP: Takara Pac Ltd., Japan for “Chablis Wine Label
HM SALMA: Rapid Labels, New Zealand for “Craggy Range Wild Rock Pinot Gris 2016”
HM FINAT: Royston Labels, United Kingdom for “King’s Cross”
Class 5: Letterpress Line
HM FINAT: Cabas SA., Greece for “Agro.VI.M. Olive Oil Kalamata PDO 1L
Class 6: Letterpress Line/Screen
Winner JFLP: MARU-SIN Co. Ltd., Japan for “Safety Drive”
Class 7: Letterpress Colour Process
Winner JFLP: SATO PRINTING Co. Ltd., Japan for “Daimyo Futomaki (Sushi Roll)”
HM SALMA: Leading Label, New Zealand for “Pumpkin Seed Oil”
Class 8: Letterpress Wine/Spirits
Winner JFLP: SATO PRINTING Co. Ltd., Japan for “Apple and Lime Liqueur “Ringo Hime””
Class 9: Offset Line
Winner SALMA: Panprint Ltd., New Zealand for “True Honey Co. 300+ MGO”
Class 11: Offset Colour Process
Joint Winner PEIAC: Beijing YaZhengYuan Colourful Printing Co. Ltd., China for “JOMO Label”
Joint Winner JFLP: SHINWA LABEL PRINTING Co. Ltd., Japan for “YAMAGATA SAKURANBO”
Class 12: Offset Wine/Spirits
Joint Winner JFLP: SEIEIDO PRINTING Co. Ltd., Japan for “Japanese Sake “Yamahousi””
Joint Winner SALMA: Panprint Ltd., New Zealand for “Pacific Potion Sauvignon Blanc”
HM FINAT: Multi-Color Corporation North America Wine and Spirits, USA for “Fortnight”
HM FPLMA: Multi-Color Australia for “D’SAS”
Class 13: Combination Line
Winner SALMA: Rapid Labels, New Zealand for “Floating Oil Snapper”
HM FPLMA: Label House, Australia for “Pale Ale Birra Zonzo”
Class 14: Combination Line/Screen
Winner TLMI: McDowell Label & Screen Printing, USA for “Performance Nutrition”
Class 15: Combination Colour Process
Winner JFLP: SUNMEC Co. Ltd., Japan for “Denen Fuka” Box Label”
Class 16: Combination Wine/Spirits
Winner TLMI: Multi-Color Corporation, USA, for “Octopoda Cabernet Wine”
HM JFLP: MARU-SIN Co. Ltd., Japan for “NEI (Japanese Shochu”
Class 17: Digital Printing
Winner TLMI: Digital Label Solutions Inc. USA for “KIA –The Extra Mile”
HM FINAT: Ҫiftsan Etiket Ambalaj San. Ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti., Turkey for “Winx Body Lotion 75ml”
Class 18: Digital Wine/Spirits
Winner TLMI: Syracuse Label & Surround Printing, USA for “Ryze Vodka”
HM FINAT: Marzek Etiketten GmbH, Austria for “Heathland Whisky”
HM FPLMA: Multi-Color Australia for “Silken Beastie Shiraz”
Class 19: Screen Printing
Winner LMAI: Any Graphics Pvt. Ltd., India for “ComAD Designs”
HM JFLP: Sibel Industry Co. Ltd., Japan for “VRONIQUE & CLAUDETTE”
HM FINAT: Stratus Packaging, France for “Shampoo Color Lômé Paris”
Class 20: Gravure
Winner SALMA: Gravure Packaging Ltd., New Zealand for “Chobani 170g”
HM FINAT: Multi-Color Wales, United Kingdom for “Heineken Green Identity”
Class 21: Booklets
Winner FINAT: Stratus Packaging, France for “Multipages les recettes Végétales sans gluten”
Class 22: Innovation
Joint Winner FINAT: Source Labels Ltd., United Kingdom for “Fortnum and Mason Beluga 000 Fresh Caviar”
Joint Winner JFLP: Shibatasesco Co. Ltd., Japan for “Instant Pocket Label”
Joint Winner LMAI: Mudrika Labels Pvt. Ltd., India for “Colgate Deep Cleaning”
Overall ranking of winners by region
| Association | Winners | Honourable Mention | Total |
| JFLP | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| FINAT | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| SALMA | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| TLMI | 5 | - | 5 |
| FPLMA | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| LMAI | 2 | - | 2 |
| PEIAC | 1 | - | 1 |
| Total | 24 | 15 | 39 |
The judges for the 2017 competition included Tony White (FINAT) Chair, Mike Buystedt (TLMI) Vice Chairman, Harveer Sahni (LMAI), Tony Wheeler (SALMA), Andrew Maxwell (FPLMA), Mr Masaaki Yoshitake (JFLP) and Ms Jean Li (PEIAC).