Nestlé adopts Alcoa shrink labels for Canadian market

07 Jul 2005

Nestlé has launched a range of milk products in Canada, packaged in Alcoa Flexible Packaging shrink labels. The Nestlé Canadian products - Nesquik, Rolo and CoffeeCrisp Ready-To-Drink (RTD) flavoured milk beverages - are bottled in HDPE containers with the same shapes recognised in the US market. However, Alcoa claims that the printing conveys a more unique, hip image, particularly on the Nesquik, Rolo and CoffeeCrisp products. All of the Nestlé Canadian shrink labels are rotogravure reverse printed at Alcoa Flexible Packaging’s Downingtown printing plant in Pennsylvania using 50 micron PETG film. US-based Alcoa Flexible Packaging manufactures a variety of packaging materials including extrusion and adhesive laminated pouch materials, overwraps and linerstock, blister lidding foil, thermoformed trays, cable wrap, plastic shrink sleeve body labels, shrink film and laminated foil. The firm claims to be a major innovator in the field of packaging. For example, the firm recently developed a prototype label for PET bottles, featuring cutting edge technology that could, it is claimed, open up a number of new packaging design possibilities. Alcoa’s promotional PET water bottle sports a 50-micron PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) reverse printed shrink sleeve from the group’s flexible packaging division. Most significantly, the rotogravure printed shrink sleeve utilises two new printing technologies. The first of these is a new interference ‘flip’ ink that changes from one colour to another as the label is tilted, creating exciting design possibilities. In addition to the reverse printed inks, a pearlescent, white tint ink is surface-printed on the label’s water droplets and top copy, giving these areas dramatic, graphic depth. These innovative print technologies are available on any shrink sleeve substrate including PETG, OPS and PVC. Alcoa’s southern graphic systems (SGS) in-house design group was responsible for the design of the label. “The beverage market has been saturated with PET containers with paper or plastic wrap-around labels,” said Alcoa executive vice president Bill Leahey. “Many companies attempt to differentiate themselves with the bottle shape, but few have utilised distinctive, eye-catching shrink sleeve labels.” Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary aluminium, fabricated aluminium and alumina, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. In addition to aluminium products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap aluminium foil, Alcoa wheels, and Baco household wraps. The company has 120,000 employees in 41 countries.