Design agency The Creative Method worked with New Zealand printer Label and Litho on a variable data printing project that allowed them to personalise thousands of unique labels for wine bottles.
The Creative Method's Lee Nicol said the design solution came from the idea of making clients stand out through somewhat humorous disguises.
“We used simple black and white photographs of each client, as well as members of our team – totalling almost 100 people,” he said.
“We produced 21 labels of each person, then added seven different bold graphic disguises produced with an array of embellishments across the 21 labels.
“Initially, we considered swapping out the four different disguise elements of hat, glasses, mouth and neck across the different disguises, giving us 2401 different disguises.
“Multiply that by the number of label photographs, and our head exploded.”
So the team decided to curb their enthusiasm and return to reality, which was achievable using HP Indigo variable data and some creative thinking.
“In the end I believe we printed around 2,100 unique labels,” Nicol said.
“We could have done even more variants had time allowed.”
For a project like this you need production time on your side, ideally six to eight weeks.
“Label and Litho had half that time to work with, and the result was still fantastic,” he said.
An HP Indigo machine was used for the variable data printing of the 100 or so photographs, then it applied a select palette of embellishments including multiple hot foils, cold foils, light line foils, silk screen white and multiple colours of high-build inks.
A ready relationship
The project flowed out of a long-standing relationship with Label and Litho involving a variety of labelling and packaging projects.
The two companies had already dabbled in limited-edition wine labels as gifts for clients, but this was the first time they did it on a larger scale.
“The advantage for any label design project is to have a plethora of print embellishments and capabilities at your disposal,” Nicol said.
“Collectively our aim was really very simple: to create standout.
“We really wanted to demonstrate how it could be done interestingly through print production and design thinking.”
Dressed to impress
Nicol started by asking Label and Litho what they wanted to show off.
“They pretty much put no limitations on print or production,” he said.
“We loved the idea of creating a series and putting variable data to good use.
“We wanted something more impressive than a just a name change or a simple colour change, and we wondered how many one-off labels we could produce.”
He recalls one of the staff at Label and Litho saying that “print jobs like this are the projects printers live for. They are not simply about volume or the bottom line but a love of the craft itself”.
“It's about pushing the envelope, which is something printers and design team can miss out on,” Nicol said.
“These are the types of projects that motivate you, challenge you, and put your skills to the test."
He said it was expensive, but definitely worth it.
“Clients are used to receiving limited edition wine labels from us.
"The challenge was how to out-do the last labels.”
Nicol said clients were surprised and amused to see their own photo on the bottle.
“Label and Litho were slightly sneaky when requesting to take pictures, as they didn't reveal their true use," he said.
“We know clients have left the bottles unopened because they love them so much.
“We're happy we were able to put smiles on faces and made people giggle.
“Playing to category cues is one thing, but having a unique personality can really get your product noticed.”
