Eye-catching label for new Malibu liqueur

To increase shelf appeal and consumer interest for a new addition to the Malibu family, Pernod Ricard chose Eastman Chemical Company’s Embrace copolyester to create the labels for Malibu Red, a rum and tequila liqueur. Embrace is said to offer superior clarity and high gloss to showcase graphics as well as eye-catching 360-degree graphic capabilities and high print definition for maximum shelf appeal.

Pernod Ricard wanted to maintain a consistent brand image with its other products while developing a unique look and feel to grab consumer attention on the shelves. “Malibu Red is pushing the boundaries of existing categories so we wanted a groundbreaking design,” said Valérie Chhoeu, global brand manager, Malibu. “Unlike the traditional opaque white sleeve and bottle Malibu is known for, the see-through sleeve and silver and red colours bring a modern, premium feel to the Malibu Red bottle.”

The toughness, clarity and printability of the copolyester made it a good fit for the label’s high-end look and feel. To achieve the mirror-image, metallic silver and red look, the image was reverse-printed on the clear, water-like label to bring out bold colours and enhance graphics. Embrace allows for surface printing with existing technology and without special pre-treatment.

“The shrink memory of Embrace is ideal for the bottle, which has a long base and a short, narrow neck,” said Alan Wolk, vice president of innovation and technical support with Gilbreth, a subsidiary of Cenveo Corporation and a shrink sleeve label manufacturer in Croydon, Pa., which prints the Malibu Red bottle labels. “The print characteristics of Embrace marry perfectly with the bottle.”

Eastman Embrace copolyester has greater than 75% ultimate shrinkage, making shrinkage around the neck possible. In addition, with its maximum shrinkage potential and ability to shrink around highly contoured or complex containers, brand owners can potentially eliminate secondary packaging, such as tamper-evident bands and plastic rings.

“Packaging drives sales and attracts consumer attention on retailer shelves,” said Ronnie Little, market development manager, specialty plastics packaging, Eastman Chemical Company. “We are pleased the Eastman Embrace family of resins can provide opportunities to enhance brand experience through increased functionality and sustainable packaging.”

Malibu Red is currently available in the US, the UK, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, South Africa and the Netherlands.

21 November 2013 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor