Shrink Sleeve Labeling: A Winning Combination

Glass Packaging and Shrink Sleeve Labeling: A Winning Combination

by Mary Ellen Reis

The world of packaging design has undergone a tremendous shift over the last 10 years. With marketing and advertising budgets continuing to be slashed, a product’s packaging has become its primary promotional vehicle. Packaging suppliers have risen to the challenge by introducing packaging technologies that have both revolutionized the look and accommodated the time frame demands of many products in the retail environment.

One packaging design technique receiving considerable attention is shrink sleeve labeling. This kind of labeling has a long history in the packaging industry thanks to its uses for tamper-evident banding and general shrink bundling. More recently, however, the shrink sleeve label has revolutionized the ability of the product container and the label to become more unified by “shrinking” the label into the contours of the container and promoting the full surface of the container. Using different film substrates for different percentages of shrinkage, the shrink sleeve label can accommodate many different sizes of containers and conform to curves that cannot be handled by traditional labeling methods.

Many different technological advances have helped to make shrink sleeve labeling the fastest growing segment of the industry, with an estimated CAGR of 15 to 20 percent. These advances include:

The combination of a shrink sleeve label and a glass container offers both a premium look and a strong barrier for the product. According to Michael Mattia, procurement manager for Canandaigua Wine, “There are just so many advantages to shrink sleeve labeling—the quick turnaround, the ease of monitoring and quality control procedures, and perhaps most importantly, the head-turning look it gives our wine, sparkling wine, and cider products.” Mattia also comments that shrink sleeve labeling gives Canandaigua’s K Cider line just the “different and unique” look needed for crowded retail shelves.

High-Heat, High-Touch

Glass packages and shrink sleeve labels are a winning combination. Durable glass containers, strongly associated with premium presence and product protection, can handle the high temperatures of shrink sleeve labeling’s heat tunnel application process. Glass provides hard and stiff surfaces for the labels to shrink to, increasing the premium “feel” for consumers as they handle the packages.

Retail shelves are full of examples of the benefits of combining glass containers and shrink sleeve labeling. Dean Foods, for example, has successfully reinforced the premium nature of Marie’s Salad Dressing by restaging the product in a new ergonomic glass container with a shrink sleeve label. The labeling creatively shows the color of the product. The use of rotogravure printing demonstrates the value that premium photography adds to a package label. Merchandised in the produce section instead of the salad dressing aisle, Marie’s has won the prestigious 2003 Clear Choice Award from the Glass Packaging Institute.

Another 2003 Clear Choice Award winner, Prego Hearty Meat Sauce, comes in an hourglass-shaped jar designed both for improved grip-ability and for distinctive shelf appeal in the crowded pasta sauce section. The colorful shrink-sleeve label graphics convey rich flavor and fresh ingredients. The successful combination of shrink sleeve labels and ergonomically shaped glass containers like these will continue to be a key benefit for consumer product companies striving to differentiate their products on the shelf.