Finlandia gets smart with AbbeyTex

AbbeySheetfeeding’s textured microflute board called AbbeyTex has been used to create premium quality packs for Finlandia Vodka.

Brown Forman, which owns the Finlandia brand, selected Helsinki-based Linkit Concept to co-ordinate the development of the pack as part a promotional drive into the Finnish, Russian, Latvian and the Czech Republic markets. Linkit, having already worked with AbbeySheetfeeding, brought the specialist packaging materials manufacturer onboard the project.

The specifications for the packaging were that it had to be recyclable, strong, lightweight and look like a rigid box yet it needed to flat-pack to save costs through the supply chain.  The chosen material had also to accept foil blocking and embossing to a high standard to create a premium brand look.

AbbeyTex was selected from one of the many creative and decorative board ranges offered by AbbeySheetfeeding. AbbeyTex, when manufactured into a microfluted material, provides high strength and protection characteristics to the carton packaging. Its surface is also formulated to accept hot foil blocking and the designers took full advantage of this using foil in three colours, in a combination of graphics and text, then enhanced with embossing.

The result is a striking box constructed to hold individual bottles of the vodka. The strong blue of the material plus the foil blocking provide a luxurious, yet contemporary, feel to compliment the stylish Finlandia brand. 

Leena Kauppi, chairman of Linkit Concepts says: “We were exceptionally pleased with how the packaging for Finlandia developed.  The microflute performed really well against all the criteria outlined in the initial project briefing – the colour dyeing, foil blocking and embossing combined with the microflute have produced a carton which enhances the brand and enables it to stand out in a crowded market, at the same time the bottles are fully protected with a product that is recyclable.”

24 March 2013 - Felicity Murray