Marketing – “Avery Dennison Wine Label Award 2011” Origin prevails over globalisation of wine styles

As a world leader in the adhesive labelling industry, Avery Dennison is a sponsor of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and the “Avery Dennison Wine Label Award 2011”. The award adds another facet to the traditional Concours Mondial de Bruxelles by rewarding the key components of a wine bottle’s livery: the label, its aesthetic qualities and the visual impression conveyed by the packaging.

A selection of the best labels from wines awarded either a gold medal or a grand gold medal in Luxembourg in 2011 took place on September 16 at CMB HQ in Brussels. Avery Dennison chose the selection criteria, namely:

• Bottle type and quality (colour, size, quality of the finish, weight;
• Print quality of the label;
• Ease and clarity with which the label conveys its message: origin (a very important criterion), taste, grape varietal and even a wine’s history;
• The quality of the graphic elements that may encourage consumer loyalty;
• The design from a holistic perspective: balance, originality, harmony, aesthetic quality…

An initial selection was screened by a series of design and media agencies specialising in wines and spirits; these are listed separately (see box). Bertrand Plessis, vice-president of Parisian agency Mediane whose clients include Veuve Cliquot, Roederer, Bouchard, William Fèvre and Ramos Pinto, selected the three winners from this initial selection. He explains how he chose them:

« The screening carried out by the agencies provided me with a range of labels. My first move was to deliberately reverse the order of the selection criteria. Instead of itemising the strengths and weaknesses of each selected bottle, I chose to begin with a cursory analysis, in the same way as a consumer would in store. My primary concern was the honesty with which a wine was pitched, in other words the consistency between the image conveyed and the wine itself, particularly its origin. A sweeping glance should be enough to confirm first impressions. In two rounds I was therefore able to eliminate half the entries that were very incoherent. I did not necessarily reject ultra traditional products with a predictable image displaying strong coherence and the kind of over-simplistic imagery one would expect of a French, Spanish or say New World wine. Keeping to stereotypes can often be very effective from a marketing perspective.

« Lastly, I analysed the remaining wines using a more rational evaluation chart measuring graphic quality, design, typography… My aim was to answer the following question: has the intention of the producer been fulfilled? I only had ten wines left. My final criterion was the technical quality of each effort: the type of paper, bottle cap and printing. There were just five wines left in the running. It was then time for me to rely on my intuition again and resort to the highly personal criterion of seduction. The emotional aspect is a fundamental cue in choosing a wine. You generally see an underlying trend towards the internationalisation of wine styles. I suppose that is a consequence of changing consumer habits but wines are generally heading towards greater simplicity with the use of clear-cut colours and refinement, minimalism even. This is a trend across the board; you see it with spirits and beers too. It tends to hide the origin of a wine but one of the challenges of design is precisely to guide the industry through this trend whilst at the same time respecting the “honesty” of a message and allowing the origin to be conveyed in a genuine way. »

Award-winning wines

• Bellingham - Old Vine 2010 - Chenin Blanc – South Africa – Coastal Region (DGB (PTY) Ltd)


• Chêne Bleu - Héloise 2006 – France – Vallée du Rhône (SCEA Domaine de la Verrière)


• Luis Felipe Edwards - LFE900 Blend 2008 - Chile - Valle de Colchagua (Viña Luis Felipe Edwards Ltda.)
  

State-of-the-art technology and innovative ideas

Wine labels must comply with a broad range of conventions, both implicit and explicit. Through close collaboration with specialised design agencies, Avery Dennison has gained sound experience guaranteeing producers a platform and choice of products capable of bringing their ideas to life. Avery Dennison’s “Wine Lifestyle” range of labels includes a “Rich” collection for wines with a strong heritage, a contemporary “Cool” collection using the latest innovations in adhesive materials and a “Pure” collection ensuring natural elegance. Global presence, service excellence and specialised technical advice make Avery Dennison the ideal partner for superlative quality wine and spirits labels.

.