LABELS NEWS - March

Welcome to our Newsletter. We hope you're enjoying reading about what's going on in the world of labels, as well as getting to know your labels team members a little better! Please send us any feedback or stories that you think should be included. *This newsletter is strictly an internal communication. Please do not forward to anyone outside of Constantia Flexibles.

Constantia Flexibles LIFEWTR Label “Is The Brand” According to PepsiCo

LIFEWTR is a purified water pH balanced with electrolytes. Launched in Feb 2017, the high-profile brand is PepsiCo’s way of appealing to millennials. What sets the premium water brand apart from competitors is the label – each label features a bold and tactile work of art from an emerging artist, playing strongly into today’s social-media driven culture. The Challenge (what the project was) Create a recyclable pressure sensitive label that highlights the color and texture of the art within a short timeframe Our Solution Working with PepsiCo from the beginning, Constantia Flexibles evaluated the art to determine the best film

material gauge and to identify the tactile coatings and matte finishes that would best meet the design intent. Placing a high importance on the tactile element of the design, the team tested a variety of tactile coated label samples to guarantee the end result would survive the filling and shipping process. They used a 12-color press to make the art eye-catching from the front and the back. To ensure the label would be 100% recyclable, the team used Avery Dennison’s CleanFlake Adhesive technology and film material. Results PepsiCo is thrilled with the quality of the label and the speed at which it was created and implemented. To date we have shipped double the original forecast of LIFEWTR labels with a variety of designs and more filling locations are being added. Label Specifications Clear pressure sensitive BOPP Label

Meet Shanna Lewis- Purchasing Clerk, Clarksville TN Name: Shanna Lewis Location: Clarksville, TN Current Position: Purchasing Clerk How long have you been with the company? 1 ½ years What does your typical day involve?

• Receiving requests and creating POs for TN, NY, and OH

• Making sure the correct documentation has been received and the correct processes have been followed

• Working with vendors on pricing and special requests

• Checking inventory of office supplies, making sure everyone has what they need

• Working with accounts payable to correct any mistakes on invoicing

• I always have at least one or two other special projects going on at all times.

What do you like best about your job? I like that I get to work with all of the different departments within the company – I have learned a lot about the printing industry and business in general in just 1 ½ years! I like that I get to be involved in what is going on around here! How did you get started in this industry? I had just graduated from college in Clarksville and got brought on as the receptionist. What are your favorite sports or pastimes? I love being outdoors, traveling, hiking and camping. I also enjoy shopping, and I am learning to play tennis. Do you have a favorite sports team that you root for? I was raised a Tennessee Volunteer fan, GO VOLS! What would people be surprised to know about you? A lot of people seem surprised when I tell them how old I am – 23 years old. What is your favorite band, movie, or book? I love Avatar! I can’t wait for the sequel to come out. What was your favorite holiday/vacation? Last year when I spent the holidays in Brasil. What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received? Fake it ‘til you make it!

Meet Paul Charles- Engineering Supervisor, Cwmbran South Wales

Name: Paul Charles Location: Cwmbran, South Wales Current Position: Engineering Supervisor How long have you been with the company? 8 Years (9 years in May)

What does your typical day involve? Planning engineering activities, monitoring maintenance tasks and providing breakdown support in order to minimize production downtime What do you like best about your job? Variety. The role allows me to carry out a wide range of engineering activities and work alongside many different people on a daily basis How did you get started in this industry?

I originally come from an automotive background, so I felt that the printing industry could provide me with a new challenge and engineering experience What are your favorite sports or pastimes? Fitness and Music Do you have a favorite sports team that you root for? Ebbw Vale RFC What would people be surprised to know about you? I like to play the piano in my spare time : ) What is your favorite band, movie, or book? The Gaslight Anthem (Band) What was your favorite holiday/vacation? Cancún, Mexico What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received? ‘There is no substitute for experience’

Anheuser-Busch's Shock Top releases new citrus brand, flavors By: Katlyn Keller

Anheuser-Busch announced last week that it would begin rolling out additional flavors and new branding for its Shock Top brand.

The company plans to release "a number of" new flavors, starting with its Holy Citrus and Ruby Fresh beers, pictured in the gallery below. The company did not disclose costs of the campaign or the total amount of new flavors that will be released. The newest variety pack, which has been available in stores since the end of February, includes the two new flavors as well as its original Belgian White and its Lemon Shandy, which was released in 2012. “Shock Top is known for its laidback, carefree vibe, but this year, we’re growing up without letting go of being young. We’re turning up the volume with a vibrant, new energy and look that’s ready to shake things up,” Jake Kirsch, vice president of Shock Top said in a statement. “Across every

touchpoint with our brand, fans will experience a more upbeat Shock Top, coupled with some incredible new seasonal brews that embrace citrus in every sip like never before.” Founded in 2006 with its Belgian White beer, Shock Top Brewing Co. is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, which has its North American headquarters in St. Louis.

PepsiCo Debuts Two New Drinks as Part of Its Health Overhaul By: John Kell

PepsiCo is debuting a few more "healthier" carbonated drinks.

This week, PepsiCo is starting to stock IZZE Fusions and Lemon Lemon—two new beverage brands—in retail stores across the U.S. The new beverages are entering the market with formulas that contain fewer calories than traditional full-calorie sodas like the namesake Pepsi. These so-called "next-generation beverages" are an important component of PepsiCo's (pep, -0.11%) evolution to sell beverages and snacks that are healthier, especially critical in the world of soda as that industry has seen a years-long dip in sales of carbonated beverages as consumers aim to drink healthier beverages. Beverage preferences are tilting toward healthier categories like teas and flavored waters. Full-calorie sodas have broadly seen volume declines because consumers are increasingly looking to cut down on their calorie and sugar intake. Meanwhile, diet sodas that were once a popular substitute have faced pressure because of worries about artificial sweeteners like aspartame. IZZE Fusions and Lemon Lemon aim to address those concerns by containing fewer calories, less sugar, and no artificial sweeteners or flavors. "The consumer is getting more sophisticated," said Gary So, VP of marketing portfolio transformation for PepsiCo's North America beverage unit. "They are looking for new options but typically don't want to sacrifice on taste." Other new healthier beverages have included craft sodas under the Stubborn brand, premium-priced bottled water called LIFEWTR, Tropicana Probiotic and KeVita,

a sparkling probiotic drink maker brand PepsiCo acquired for around $200 million last year. IZZE is a brand that PepsiCo has owned for about a decade while Lemon Lemon is completely new. IZZE Fusions are a hybrid of sorts, with PepsiCo saying it is "sort of a soda, sort of juice and sort of sparkling water." The company is marketing it to the younger Gen Z crowd. "They are consuming a lot of different beverages, like sparking water, sparking soda and juice—all different categories," said So. IZZE Fusions was developed to blend all three of those trends. Lemon Lemon is more clearly defined as a sparkling lemonade, a beverage formula that is more popular abroad but PepsiCo hopes will see success in the U.S. market as well. It will be marketed globally under the 7UP trademark, which PepsiCo owns in all markets outside of the U.S., where it is controlled by Dr Pepper Snapple (dps, +0.37%). Lemon Lemon's flavors include blackberry and peach, while IZZE Fusions includes orange mango and strawberry melon. Perhaps most importantly, Lemon Lemon contains 70 calories per 12-ounce can while IZZE Fusions has 60 calories for the same size serving, made with a mix of stevia and cane sugar. That's important because PepsiCo made a promise last year that at least two-thirds of the company's global beverage volume will come from drinks that have 100 calories or fewer from added sugar per 12-ounce serving. PepsiCo has been busy boosting spending on innovation to help hit that target. Investment in research and development has increased by 45% since 2011. As Fortune has reported, stevia has become a popular sweetener because it is derived from the leaf of a plant, and therefore viewed as natural. But because stevia contains a bitter undertaste, beverage companies can't lean on stevia to completely sweeten a drink. So instead, companies like PepsiCo have blended a mix of stevia and sugar as a way to cut down on calories but still retain taste consumers will gravitate to. Consumers, So explained, are "reducing their sugar consumption and looking for beverages that provide a range of choices. This is a better-for-you proposition." PepsiCo has argued the company's portfolio is strongest when it is diversified to include full-calorie drinks like the traditional Pepsi, some zero-calorie options, and beverages that fall in between the two. That's because consumers are being more flexible in their drinking habits and less loyal to a specific single carbonated soda brand. Broadly, PepsiCo's moves to remake the company's portfolio to be healthier in consumers' eyes have paid off. The company ended 2016 with strong fourth-quarter results, due to particularly strong growth for the company's North America operations, especially for the Frito-Lay and beverages portfolio.

Heineken beats Coca-Cola to become the world’s most awarded advertiser Brewer Heineken has beaten Coca-Cola to become the world's most awarded advertiser in 2016, with campaigns such as Le Big Swim for its Kronenbourg 1664 brand featuring football star-turned-actor Eric Cantona helping it to the top spot. The list, published as part of The Gunn Report for Media, out today, combines the winners of media innovation, creativity and advertising effectiveness awards across 40 countries, including the U.K., U.S., Brazil and China, as well as emerging markets such as Colombia and Lebanon. It then awards points to ads based on whether they won best in show, gold, silver or bronze.

Heineken, up five places from 2015, scored 90 points from wins at 14 awards events or festivals, including its Spanish "Un Jefe de Champions" or "Champions' Boss" campaign, which set up a spoof awards dinner for company managers to make sure they left work on time, so lower-ranked colleagues could leave to watch UEFA Champions League matches.

https://youtu.be/bbUGtMcBWjM

Campaigns for Heineken's Dos Equis beer, in which long-running ad character "The Most Interesting Man in the World" is retired to Mars, and "The Dilemma," where

an Italian football fan has to decide whether to watch a game live at the stadium or on the sofa with mates, also helped Heineken win.

https://youtu.be/R6xLcItSJN8

Could award-winning advertising campaigns lead to higher sales? This week, Heineken reported a 1.4 percent increase in earnings to 20.79 billion euros ($21.89 billion) in 2016, despite the negative impact of currency fluctuations, while second-placed Coca-Cola saw revenue down 5 percent to $41.9 billion in figures reported last week. In the Gunn report, Coca-Cola gained 78 points from 25 awards events around the world, including a Chinese campaign, "Drama Coke," which saw famous movie quotes replacing Coke's name on bottles, and Coke Studio India, where musicians from various genres worked together on projects broadcast on MTV.

https://youtu.be/2DnvzHwLSVU

McDonald's, in third place, won awards from Brazil, Hong Kong and the Philippines among others, with McDonald's transforming two tollbooths in Manila into Drive-Thru restaurants where commuters could get a free meal, and have their toll paid, as part of its "#imlovinit24" campaign where it ran events in 24 cities over 24 hours.

https://youtu.be/Gmp-qN03dBk

The 11 most awarded advertisers worldwide 2016 1. Heineken 2. Coca-Cola 3. McDonald's 4. KFC 5= Microsoft 5= Samsung 7. Vodafone 8. John Lewis 9. Disney 10= Visa 10= Pepsi

Review: Starbucks’ Teavana Ready-to-Drink Teas Launched in February 2017, Starbucks’ Teavana ready to drink (RTD) “Craft Iced Teas” are a top-notch offering produced through a partnership with beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI).

The line is launching in the Northeast U.S. and comes out of the gate with four flavors: Peach Green Tea, Pineapple Berry Blue Herbal Tea, Mango Black Tea, and Passion Tango

Herbal Tea. All four of the flavors have a straightforward list of ingredients and 100 calories or fewer per 14.5 oz

bottle (with 21-22g of sugar). They suggested retail price of $2.39 positions it as a mainstream premium offering. The flavors are well-crafted -- although we’re not sure we’d call them “craft” -- and fit very much in the style of what you’ll find in Starbucks or Teavana retail outlets. As far as RTD products go, they are somewhat of a throwback to the days where more straightforward sugar-sweetened teas were the norm. To that end, they are refreshing and enjoyable and they don’t make any promises about functionality or contain any “super” ingredients. These products seem all about delivery enjoyment through a formulation that contains a modest amount of calories and sugar. For our favorites, we’d pick the two more traditional style teas, Mango Black Tea and Peach Green Tea. And of those two, Peach Green Tea, which features lemongrass, lemon verbena, and spearmint (along with natural flavor for the peach), is complex in its flavor profile but still very light and refreshing. Mango Black Tea is a straightforward flavored black tea, which, despite having its mango come from flavoring, is both accurate tasting and balanced. The other two flavors, which are the two herbal tea varieties, still need some work. Specifically, the lighter taste of the herbal tea tastes like it is competing with the added flavorings. In both cases, the flavorings win out and the products don’t have the same balance that you’ll find in the black and green tea varieties. Packaging is another strong part of this product. The products use a tall and somewhat narrow 14.5 oz. glass bottle. There are clear labels on the front and an opaque label on the back. This helps give a really clean presentation on the front of the bottle while making the nutrition facts and ingredients super easy to read. As for the design, it’s minimalist, with a one color approach that feels appropriate for a premium tea product. However, we wonder if they shouldn’t have placed the Starbucks logo on the front rather than the back as this has much greater brand equity than the Teavana name. Overall, Starbucks and ABI have what appears to be the makings a product that can compete in the mainstream premium RTD tea set. While there’s still room to evolve the flavor profiles, the packaging and positioning of the product seem spot on.

Amstel introduces Amstel Xlight Amestel, a brand of Heineken USA, White Plains, N.Y., announced the launch of of a new light beer: Amstel Xlight. With 90 calories, 2 grams of carbs, 4.2 percent alcohol by volume and 4 international bittering units, Amstel Xlight is a sessionable, premium quality light beer with a full beer flavor not expected from a light beer, the company says. The new product, which launched March 1 in Arizona, Texas, and Boston, Mass.,is available in six-pack bottles, 12-pack cans and bottles, and a 24-ounce single-serve can.

“Consumers who have tasted it, loved it,” said Jessica

Robinson, senior brand director for Amstel and Strongbow, in a statement. “It’s a winning proposition. For retailers and on-premise operators, it offers an imported alternative to their domestic light beer selection. For consumers, it offers a sessionable, low-calorie and low-carb beer with great refreshing taste. Amstel Xlight won’t weigh down the beer drinker so there’s no compromising an active lifestyle.” The three-market launch of

Amstel Xlight will be supported with a fully integrated marketing campaign to drive consumer awareness and trial and generate store traffic. Beginning this month, consumer sampling, participation in active lifestyle events and alignment with key influencers will give consumers their first taste of Amstel Xlight, the company says. At retail, merchandising will provide in-store visibility with display, shelf and cooler materials to promote planned, impulse and repeat purchase, it says. To build consumer awareness, beginning in April, strategically placed out-of-home advertising in key markets will deliver the core message: “90 Cals, 2 Carbs. Finally, an Extra Light Beer with Great Taste.” In addition, trade media and PR, as well as bartender engagement activations will complement the consumer outreach and drive select channel distribution and account support, it adds. “Amstel has an Amsterdam brewing tradition dating to 1870,” Robinson added. “The city’s coat of arms added lions in the 16th century as 22 statues were created to protect its railway and shipping ports. Modernization in the 19th century moved the lions to various places around the city; fifteen have known locations, while seven are missing. Proudly, two of them now grace Amstel Xlight packaging with their presence as protectors of the quality and essence of our brand 150 years later. Amstel Xlight builds on this tradition.”

Spindrift Eliminates Natural Flavors, Plans to Discontinue Soda Line By Ray Latif

In a major step intended to further its commitment toward simple ingredients and transparency, carbonated natural beverage brand Spindrift has removed all natural flavors and essences from its sparkling waters and will discontinue its soda line.

Spindrift founder and CEO Bill Creelman called the moves “belief decisions” that address growing consumer concerns about added flavors and sugar. “It’s removed the last caveat,” added Spindrift CMO Strick Walker. “It’s real fruit and water and bubbles. That’s it.”

Launched in 2010 as a craft soda brand differentiated by the use of real fruit, Spindrift has since become best known for its fast-growing line of unsweetened sparkling waters. Although the company had selectively used natural flavors in some of the waters, Spindrift gradually began removing the ingredients amid an evolution in its messaging that emphasized “real” and “simple” as the pillars of its brand. Creelman noted that a surge in consumer queries about natural flavors and how they are created also contributed to Spindrift’s decision to completely eliminate them. “When we started to get all these write-ins, we began to look closer,” he said. “We started calling our flavor suppliers, we began calling the food scientists that we have known and worked with for a long time. And we weren’t satisfied with the answers we were getting.” It’s a decision that affects the company’s revenues: while Creelman described the soda line as “growing like crazy,” particularly in the foodservice channel, he views the sugar-sweetened drinks as “there almost to supplement the bigger proposition, the sparkling and the real.” “We don’t think of them being distinct; we think the sparkling water is achieving what the soda was originally intended to achieve,” he said. “We reached a point where we were so proud of the sparkling water product [and] were delivering so much flavor without any of the sweeteners.” Walker stated that the decision to discontinue soda was also tied to some consumer confusion between Spindrift’s two product lines. “We didn’t want, ultimately, someone to pick up a bottle and think it was unsweetened and be surprised by cane sugar or vice versa,” Walker said. “As much as we can drive toward real fruit and water and simplifying and

making [that] very clear for people, it’s important for them and it’s important for us.” The removal of natural flavors and colors will mean greater variability in the look and taste of some products, particularly those made with seasonal ingredients. But that’s okay with Spindrift. “We’re going to have to live with some level of variability,” Creelman said. “I think that’s where the transparency with our consumers becomes so important.”

Goose Island's Cooper Project puts fresh twist on bourbon barrel aging By: Josh Noel

Strange as it may sound, the best thing about Goose Island's forthcoming Scotch ale aged in bourbon barrels is that it tastes like beer. It doesn't taste like licking the inside of a bourbon barrel. It doesn't taste like a liquid chocolate bar. It doesn't require an hour, three other people and a designated driver to get through a bottle. It's a beer: layered, nuanced and affable at 8.7 percent alcohol, but short of an occasion worth sharing on social media. It's just a fine, approachable beer that happens to have a bit more complexity after spending four months in a bourbon barrel. You know what isn't so approachable? Many beers aged in bourbon barrels. Cacao nibs! Chile peppers! Vanilla beans! More cacao nibs! How high can we crank the alcohol? How deeply soaked can it be with oaky bourbon flavor? It's a rite of passage in American craft brewing. Goose Island is partly to blame, of course; its Bourbon County series pioneered sludgy, boozy, barrel-aged stouts. Which is why its new Cooper Project series is such a welcome relief. Which was the idea.

"We're using the bourbon barrel as a raw material, and building a beer with the bourbon barrel in mind — not using the bourbon barrel as the star of the show," said Mike Siegel, Goose Island's manager of brewing research and development. In recent years, new oak and wine barrels have been the vessels for much of the beer industry's most interesting experimentation. Russian River, The Bruery and, yes, Goose Island, have all been on that forefront. With the exception of the occasional barleywine, bourbon barrel aging has largely — though certainly not exclusively — been left for the most powerful and busiest of stouts. That's why Goose Island's first installment in the Cooper Project, the barrel-aged Scotch ale, which will be released in mid-March, is such a simple revelation. It features a sweet, caramel nose with a touch of raisin tempered by a wisp of oak. It's clean upfront on the palate, then lands with a whoosh of vanilla, coconut and toffee, and a pleasingly dry finish. You know, like beer. Part of the beer's approachability is rooted in the fact that it is blended: 50 percent aged four months in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels and 50 percent fresh beer. The two Cooper Project beers to follow in 2017 will also be blends of bourbon barrel-aged and fresh beer: a blond doppelbock in June and a porter in October. After nearly 25 years of bourbon barrel-aging imperial stout, Siegel said, Goose Island is trying to determine what other styles can stand up to bourbon barrels. "There have been a lot of misses, quite frankly," he said. Goose Island's pockets have grown significantly deeper since being acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev nearly six years ago, and the growth includes a barrel warehouse of more than 130,000 square feet. In addition to ever more Bourbon County Stout, the brewery uses the space for new projects: Hombre Secreto, a saison aged in tequila barrels last year; Brasserie Blanc, an upcoming ale fermented with grape juice and aged in wine casks; Brasserie Noir, an imperial stout aged in cabernet barrels that will be released later this year; and a series of beers aged in foudres, the large, round casks that store wine. It is, naturally, called the Foudre Project. "With a huge barrel warehouse and rapidly growing barrel-aging program, we want to challenge ourselves," Siegel said. "We don't want to be one-dimensional and only turn it up to 11 with Bourbon County without exploring other opportunities."

Premium mixers flaunt wash-off p-s labels By Natalie Craig

Coca-Cola’s new line of premium mixers for Spain’s foodservice industry debuts with colorful, wash-off pressure-sensitive labels using screen/flexo print.

Coca-Cola Spain surprised top restauranteurs and bar owners with a presentation of Royal Bliss, a new product line exclusively for the foodservice industry. The eight-flavor line of premium mixers launched Feb 1, 2017. This is Coca-Cola’s first new local brand in Spain in 10 years and has been backed by a 22 million Euro investment. Royal Bliss will release in Spain’s foodservice sector this year. Jorge Garduño, CEO of Coca-Cola for Spain and Portugal, called Royal Bliss one of their “big bets for 2017.” To bring this product line to market, Coca-Cola partnered with Constantia Flexibles for the front labels. Constantia Flexibles created a wash-off p-s label. This label consists of a 45-micron clear shrinkable film that was gravure-printed with seven colors using its Thermowash technology. This technology ensures that the inks and adhesive are completely extracted in the bottle washing process. They also created a p-s label using screen/flexo print for non-returnable bottles. “We are committed to HORECA [foodservice] and we want to give those thousands of customers a range of products with which they can continue to amaze their customers,” says Paloma Cruz Caridad, Sparkling SD Brand Director Iberia at The Coca-Cola Company.

Heineken couples sustainability and financial reporting as emissions tumble A "firm belief" that business growth and sustainability go hand-in-hand has seen Heineken publish its latest sustainability report alongside a financial report for the first time, with the report highlighting rapid business expansion alongside a decrease in emissions.

Heineken’s latest sustainability report, released on Wednesday (22 February), reveals a 37% reduction in carbon emissions in production against 2008 levels, just short of the 40% target for 2020. When looking at absolute carbon reductions, a 5% reduction has been recorded in the same timeframe, despite Heineken growing its business volumes by 52%. “This is the first year we have produced a joint annual and sustainability report,” Heineken’s chief executive Jean-François van Boxmeer said. “We feel strongly that our aim is to run the business sustainably throughout our operations. Disclosing the progress of Brewing a Better World together with our financial results is the right thing to do going forward. “We are on track with most of our 2020 Brewing a Better World commitments and during 2017 we will define our 2030 ambitions in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and COP21.” Brewers, in general, need to look for ways to cut at intensive water use in order to promote sustainability. Heineken hit its 2020 commitment to reduce specific water consumption in breweries by 25% last year. Ahead of the new targets that are being announced this year, the company revealed that water consumption has fallen by 28% per hectolitre of product since 2008. Water consumption in breweries located in water-stressed areas also reached the 2020 target of 3.3 litres of water used per litre of beer produced. In partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Heineken is mobilising stakeholders on shared water issues, which aims to accelerate the deployment of water stewardship in water-stressed areas. Lager than life Outside of water use, the Brewing a Better World strategy has seen Heineken promote energy efficiency. The company invested in 125,000 “green fridges” to help customers reduce emissions by 46% per fridge since

2010, although the firm wants to achieve a 50% reduction by 2020. In total, 60% of beverage production sites reduced energy consumption and 63% reduced water consumption. The company also has a target in place to reduce emissions from European and Americas distribution methods by 20% by 2020, which is projected to sit at 16% by the end of the year. Heineken operates more than 165 facilities globally, which creates diverse and complex waste streams. Last year, the firm rolled-out the ‘zero waste’ programme to accelerate the number of facilities with a zero-waste-to-landfill status by 2020. The number of facilities that have reached this target is 71. As well as using by-products, such as spent grains, as cattle feed, the company has embarked on numerous circular economy schemes aimed at reducing waste and enhancing the recyclability of its products. Despite strong progress across key areas, the company must accelerate efforts for its sustainable sourcing commitment. A 2020 target has been set to ensure that 50% of the firm’s main ingredients comes from sustainable sources, but progress has been limited to 17% to date; although 49% of agricultural raw materials used in Africa and the Middle East have been sourced locally. Reporting for duty Heineken is no stranger to shaking up its sustainability reporting methods. The company’s US operations recently turned to gamification to share the success stories of the Brewing a Better World campaign. The 2015 iteration of Heineken’s sustainability report was accompanied by a rap music video penned by Kevin ‘Blaxtar’ de Randamie. Blaxtar lucidly tells a tale of Heineken's comprehensive approach to sustanability, rapping about how company growth can go hand-in-hand with water consumption and carbon emissions reductions. Heineken recently claimed the Sustainability Reporting award at edie’s Sustainability Leaders Awards 2017, last month.

Perfect packaging solutions for South Africa Constantia Flexibles showcased portfolio of flexible packaging solutions at Nestlé supplier event in South Africa

Nestlé South Africa is a growing business – currently some 4,000 employees work for the multinational in South Africa, producing goods like infant nutrition, dairy, confectionery, pet care and other food and beverages. For years Constantia Flexibles has been supplying Nestlé with flexible packaging and also labels, now Constantia was invited to showcase their innovative packaging products at a supplier event with a focus on technical aspects along with 8 other companies. The geographical focus was on South Africa, so all important Nestlé managers attended the event during the day, besides the CEO of Nestlé South Africa, the marketing department, brand management, procurement and the technical departments attended. Constantia Flexibles was exhibiting in a dedicated room and showcased products that had been developed for Nestlé on a global level – also including the products that now are supplied out of Constantia Afripack in South Africa. In addition to the product showcase there were also technical presentations, for example delivered by Igor Cerri, Maria Angeles Llorente and Tyrone Voller, Product Managers for Nestlé at Constantia Flexibles.

Innovation was an integral part of the supplier event so Constantia Flexibles presented clever packaging solutions, all developed around future megatrends such as urbanization and brand protection. Products included developments like rigid packaging to flexible pouch

packaging, convenience solutions with easy opening and reclosability features, counterfeiting solutions with hidden features and special effects like holograms and promotional stickers. On the labels side, innovative solutions such as thermochromic labels were showcased.

Nicholas John, VP Sales Subsaharan Africa at Constantia Flexibles: “We were very happy to have the opportunity to showcase our global solutions for Nestlé when it comes to clever packaging solutions. Especially South Africa is a country were a lot will be happening on the food and beverage sector in the next couple of years – we will be there to supply Nestlé with the perfect solutions for the challenges that the megatrends like urbanization, brand protection and sustainability will demand from packaging. Nestlé can count on us!”

Sheikh Adel Aujan’s life and legacy celebrated at landmark awards ceremony

Dubai MENA Herald: Hundreds gathered in Dubai this evening to celebrate the life and legacy of one of the Gulf’s most prominent businessmen, Sheikh Adel Aujan. Sheikh Adel, who passed away in January, was the Chairman of one of the largest Middle Eastern

beverages conglomerates, Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company (ACCBC), formerly known as Aujan Industries, which is widely regarded as one of the region’s top home-grown success stories. In commemoration of Sheikh Adel’s contribution to both business and society, the company organized a prestigious gala dinner at the Oberoi hotel on March 1, inviting 250 members of the ACCBC family, including members of the Aujan family, past and present employees as well as suppliers and partners. The centerpiece of the event was the Adel Aujan Awards (AAA), which will be held annually, and which will honour a select group of ACCBC’s best-performing suppliers for outstanding performance in five categories – innovation; quality; service; value addition and partnership. In addition, Abdulla Adel Aujan, Chairman of ACCBC, welcomed the guests and gave a speech in memory of the late Sheikh Adel. He said: “I have every confidence that ACCBC will deliver on the vision of my father and its shareholders through our portfolio of strong brands, robust investment plans in both capacity and capability and the high calibre, experienced management team” A panel discussion involving friends and former colleagues of Sheikh Adel also looked back on the career of one of Saudi Arabia’s most remarkable industrialists. Tolga Sezer, Chief Executive Officer of ACCBC, said: “In order to recognize our valued relationships with business partners, distributors, suppliers and to maintain our commitment to improvement and innovation, we decided to inaugurate the very first Adel Aujan Awards in honor of the loving memory of our late Chairman, Sheik Adel Aujan. The annual awards will in future allow us to recognize business partners that contribute the most to ACCBC’s success, by sharing our values and our commitment to excellence, delivering sustainable performance and surpassing expectations.” Over a 48-year career with ACCBC, Sheikh Adel grew the Dammam-based business into a multi-billion-dollar drinks giant, thanks to the innovative marketing of existing brands such as Vimto and homegrown brands like Rani and Barbican. The Saudi businessman was also the visionary behind the largest ever consumer goods partnership in the Middle East with The Coca-Cola Company creating a joint venture between the two companies entitled Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company (ACCBC). The inaugural Adel Aujan Awards saw five companies honoured by ACCBC.

The Innovation AAA was won by Constantia, a manufacturer of packing and labels.

Richard Gilliatt and Lars Schuetzenmeister

Louis Dreyfus Company, a leading merchant and processor of agricultural goods, picked up the Quality AAA, while industrial products supplier MASTFOODS won the Service AAA. Beverage can manufacturer Can-Pack Middle East won the Value Addition AAA, while John Bean Technologies (JBT), a food industry machinery giant, was awarded the Partnership AAA. The company that would eventually become Aujan Industries was founded in 1905, and was expanded into beverages when it acquired the exclusive rights to distribute Vimto in the region in 1928. Sheikh Adel joined the company in 1968 after studying in the US, and quickly expanded Aujan Industries’ sales and distribution networks. Over the years, he developed Vimto Cordial as the drink of choice for families in the gulf region during the Holy Month of Ramadan. The company’s first homegrown brand, Rani, was introduced in 1982. The fruit-juice brand has gone on to become one of the most preferred beverages in the Middle East. Aujan Industries also sells and distributes Barbican, a non-alcoholic malt-based drink, having bought the brand outright in 2011. As well as beverages, Aujan Group Holding also has interests in real estate and packaging materials, with investments in hotels and game reserves in the Middle East and Africa.

"IML is the perfect solution for a refrigerated product" Award-winning and bespoke dessert container made with injection moulding

Finnish dairy producer Valio Ltd. has created an ‘easy-to-serve’ packaging with injection moulding. This outstanding container for a lactose-free panna cotta was developed by RPC Superfos and features a unique ‘release mechanism’ at the bottom. It makes it very easy for the consumer to serve the dessert quickly and attractively. Valio Eila® lactose-free panna cotta Panna cotta with fruit sauce is a popular dessert around the world, including Finland, where Valio Ltd. is a leading dairy producer. The Italian pudding served as inspiration for Valio’s new lactose-free dessert product called Valio Eila®. So Valio Ltd. turned to the reputable packaging company RPC Superfos to develop a bespoke container for this dessert. RPC Superfos has extensive experience in injection moulding and decided to involve Verstraete. Cool and easy indulgence Valio Ltd. had a clear idea of the ideal packaging when the dairy producer approached RPC Superfos. Juhana Pilkama, Packaging Development Manager, Valio Ltd. explains: “Our design brief for the package specified that the pot container should be of premium quality, look great and offer outstanding user convenience. According to our market analysis consumers crave for products that offer easy indulgence with a touch of luxury. We turned to RPC Superfos for a new customised packaging solution, as we have excellent past experience with them.” Convenience is key In close cooperation with Valio, RPC Superfos developed an injection moulded packaging solution with a unique release mechanism for serving the panna cotta quickly and decoratively. The bespoke pot has a convenient click-and-push feature at the bottom. In only three simple steps, a ready-to-eat decorative dessert will be on your plate. Just remove the sealed foil on top, then turn the pot upside-down and push the bottom release point a few times. The packaging breaks open in three spots and the pudding and fruit sauce gently slide out of the 150ml container. IML packaging guarantees premium quality Both Valio and RPC Superfos value the high quality of the IML packaging labels from Verstraete. However, finding the right solution for manufacturing the pot required hard work and meticulous testing.

Johan Rosell, Construction Manager at RPC Superfos, explains: “We have enjoyed working with Verstraete. The IML supplier has been supportive and helpful throughout this challenging, yet exciting, project. The greatest technical challenge was the release mechanism. We used three different test moulds to fine-tune the design but, in the end, we accomplished what we wanted.” Jan Van Iseghem, Verstraete IML Sales Manager for Northern Europe, comments: “Valio was looking for premium quality, which is exactly what IML offers: the printing quality is excellent and we can cover the entire packaging with a single label. In addition, the labels are strong, hygienic and resistant to moisture and extreme temperature fluctuations. That makes IML the perfect solution for a refrigerated product like this dessert.” Successful in so many ways Clearly, there is every reason to be pleased with the result. Valio Eila® cream pudding in the easy-to-serve packaging is now a huge success. Sales figures have significantly exceeded expectations and the packaging solution has already won two awards: a ScanStar and a WorldStar. The jury states the following reasons for honouring the bespoke pot with a ScanStar: "The jury rewards this packaging with a Scanstar for being a new and innovative solution. It is a pack with added value, creating a new way to serve the content. The packaging establishes interaction between the end-users and the brand owners. It is a functional result of new thinking and a step towards increased user-friendliness. How to serve the pudding is clearly described. The result becomes a pleasant plate presentation."

Pemara Labels Vietnam- Christmas Decoration Contest Pemara Labels Vietnam proudly hosted our second Christmas Decorating Contest in December! The contest is to decorate their teams designated areas with imagination, team work, and recycled waste from our process in order to capture the “Spirit of Christmas.” With the aim of creating an opportunity for all employees to be creative, connect all the members within their department and build a dynamic and united working environment.

There were 7 teams to decorate our factory and in the end the Department heads voted on each team’s presentation, creativity, use of materials, and the spirit of Christmas. Listed below are our results:

• QA & QC team : First prize

• Finance & HR Team, Prepress and Planning

team: Second prize

• Maintenance team, Production B team: Third

prize

• Sales team, Production A team; Fourth prize

Members of each team were required to contribute their idea’s & share and work together to decorate using simple materials from the factory that would either be waste or recycled, and given a small allowance to purchase some prepared lights or ornaments and in two weeks decorate their area. A great time was had by all with the camaraderie, competition, and bringing our team closer together to celebrate the Christmas Season!

Verstraete IML Ice-Cream packaging wins awards New Country Fresh IML Ice-Cream packaging wins awards

Plastic packaging producer Dairypack Tubs joined forces with Constantia's Verstraete IML for the development of the new Dairymaid ice-cream packaging and successfully so. The new Country Fresh IML packaging is the first ice-cream packaging in South Africa with an IML label that covers the entire lid. From a traditional scoop of Vanilla ice-cream to Cheesecake ice-cream with Blueberries, Dairymaid's broad range of flavour caters for all tastes. Thanks to the brand new IML packaging the delicious Dairymaid Ice-Cream Treats receive the attention they deserve on the store shelves. The streamlined IML packaging has a seamless design, is compact and allows efficient stacking. Why IML? Joe Kaddoum, IML Regional sales manager MEA Verstraete , explains: “The new IML packaging in 1.8L & 1.5L formats catches your eye on the shelf thanks to its streamlined and seamless design. The orange peel IML label covers the majority of the tub and the entire lid. Orange peel is the most popular look & feel option for a number of reasons: the film is cost-efficient and process-friendly. And the branding opportunities of in mould labeling are endless. On top of that, the new design excels in user-friendliness. Check the ‘open here’ corner. Because the packaging is so compact, shop owners are able to stack up to 25% more and the packaging fits perfectly in small, modern freezers. Extra advantages of IML packaging The efficient stacking of the new IML packaging has made transport more stable and thus safer. Thanks to advanced injection moulded technology the packaging weighs 10% less which reduces the ecological footprint. Moreover the packaging and the IML label are completely recyclable. Award-winning IML packaging Dairypack Tubs’s innovative IML packaging won no less than 2 awards. In addition to a Worldstar Award 2017 the plastic packaging producer also received an Afristar Award 2016. Wendy Rautenbach, Category Head

Dairymaid: “As market leader you have to keep innovating. We are very pleased with these awards because we know it is a real market game changer.” Constantia's Verstraete IML, Dairypack Tubs (division of Polyoak Packaging) and Dairymaid join forces Rautenbauch: “For this big project we wanted to collaborate with a plastic packaging producer with the necessary expertise. We knew that Dairypack Tubs was the right choice for a project of this size. This is the second time Dairypack Tubs has won an Afristar Award for IML packaging with Verstraete IML labels. The award is therefore great recognition of Dairypack Tubs and Verstraete IML's IML expertise.” Verstraete IML: worldwide IML partner Ettienne Pretorius, Commercial Manager Dairypack Tubs: “Why did we choose Verstraete IML as our IML partner? The choice of materials and the efficiency of the production processes is great! Moreover, at Verstraete IML we are confident of a quality product and a first class service. We gladly recommend Verstraete IML as worldwide partner for IML labels."

EVIAN PRESTIGE labels: the art of finesse «Evian Prestige» is successful with «My little box» and Constantia in Japan

Constantia Sim’Edit, part of the Constania Labels Division, has been a partner with Danone waters for many years. Danone Waters has handed over its Japanese water business to Constantia due to its proven know-how, high-performing products and renowned color & print quality consistency.

The Japanese market is by far the highest demanding market, expecting high levels of services and state of the art machinery from its suppliers. One of Danone’s strategic brands is EVIAN PRESTIGE and this year, Danone has launched a very innovative concept together with “My Little Box” that is based on a high variety of messages, all marked up with a “French touch”. Danone’s key objective was to bring new innovative labels to the market that are visually different. Constantia Sim’Edit managed to meet Danone’ expectations by ensuring the most optimized variant mixing during the cylinder engraving phase. That way,

Danone managed to bottle a variety of designs and offer different innovative bottle looks in one bottle pack. The Prestige labels are gravure printed labels with the highest printing results and finesse, given the very nature of Japanese lettering and refine texts. This was achieved successfully by the Constantia Sautron plant, which managed to exceed Danone expectations and specifications.

Spot the Difference Can you find the 5 differences on these striking Royal Bliss bottles?