6 minute read
O-I Design Awards
Students from around the world designed premium bottles with themes of sustainability for the recent O-I Expression Design Awards competition. Jess Mills was in attendance.
Entrants were instructed to create designs that could be directly printed onto glass bottles using O-I Expressions technology. The digital technique prints sculpted decorations onto bottles to create a 3D effect.
The bottle used was a 75cl premium standard bottle, which will become commercially available in May as part of O-I’s new Contemporary Spirits Collection. The collection, which contains 33% recycled content, features three bottle shapes; the Lux design was selected for the competition.
An expert panel of internationally renowned judges selected fi ve fi nalists at the initial stage of judging. Each of the fi nalists had their entries printed onto a Lux bottle, which were all displayed at the Packaging Innovations Show.
The winners
Rebecca Edwards was the overall winner with her entry inspired by Old Norse legends. Her design and brand name Ormr (Old Norse for snake) derives from the story of Jörmungandr, a giant serpent who encircles the world. (Fig 1)
Ms Edwards, who works for Hunter Luxury Packaging, said the Old Norse infl uence came from a familial link to Orkney and Shetland, which both have an extensive Viking history. She further commented that the combination of old mythology paired with modern innovations for manufacturing was ‘an interesting concept to explore’.
Melianthe Leeman, O-I’s Global Category Director of Wine and Spirits, said: “The judges were entranced by the creativity of Rebecca’s design, in which the 360° depiction of the serpent captured the essence of the circular economy, in which glass plays such a vital role.”
The judges were impressed by the high standard of entries from students and young designers across the globe, although they weren’t the only critics. The People’s Choice award received hundreds of votes with only a few points between second and fi rst place. However, João Vieira’s ‘Bright Future’ design came out on top.
O-I Expressions
O-I and Dekron, a subsidiary of Krones, have worked together over the past eight years to develop O-I Expressions. The digital printing technology enables customisable packaging, with a range of colour and design possibilities, as well as affordable rates and industrial speeds; depending on bottle size, the Dekron printing machine can decorate 100 to 500 bottles per minute.
The Dekron machine uses CMYK colours, which covers 80% of the pantone spectrum, and can print tactile effects, such as embossing, by layering ink in tiers. The technique also uses organic ink to ensure that the glass can be recycled and has lower inventories to reduce waste, making the process more sustainable.
The Dekron machine is equipped with four double printing modules (eight in total) that work in batches. The printing
Fig 1. Left to right: Josh Brooks (Easyfairs),
� Elaine Logan (O-I), winner Rebecca Edwards and Adam Ryan (Pentawards).
TITLE: ORMR
DESIGN BY: REBECCA EDWARDS
POSITION: WINNER (JURY’S AWARD)
The inspiration behind the design comes from Old Norse mythology, where the giant serpent Jörmungandr grows so large that it encircles the world. The brand name is also inspired by the legend, with Ormr being the Old Norse word for snake.
The design explores the tactile potential of OI Expressions, utilising detailed relief printing to produce a snakeskin-like texture. The distinctive design also facilitates 360° branding, allowing the consumer to recognise the brand regardless of how the bottle is oriented on shelf.
Additionally, there is use of blank space, which would be diffi cult to achieve through traditional labelling techniques. The colour choice is also minimalistic to make the embossed sections stand out.
� Fig 2. The white basecoat, layered in tiers, gives the embossed effect on the majority of designs. � The bottle designed by overall winner Rebecca Edwards. module consists of two printing levels, fi rstly white (used as a base coat) and CMYK on the upper level. The white basecoat gives opacity to the ink, although it can also be made to appear transparent, which gives the embossed effect on the majority of designs. (Fig 2) The second level (CMYK) completes the colouring.
After applying varnish, the bottles are cured using UV lamps. This fi nalises the polymerisation of the inks and ensures the hardness of the bottles. The bottles are then sprayed in a cold-end coating before being transported to customers. The bottles also undergo a pre-treatment process before printing to ensure the ink adheres successfully.
Contemporary Spirits Collection
O-I has launched a new collection of standard glass bottles for its European spirits customers, which features three bottle shapes: Lux, Attenua and Noble. The designs were inspired by some of the most popular spirits shapes from around the world and will be produced in the UK.
The collection has been designed based on research into European markets, particularly the UK, as well as being optimised to reduce fi lling times and ensure smooth transits. Features include: a core 700ml capacity with a 760g base, a high fi ll point, label protection, similar diameters between bottle types to reduce change parts and a push up bottom (even with a thick base).
Each design is available in both a thick base and lightweight version (reducing the weight by 20%), and has two fi nishes – cork mouth and screw cap. The range will be expanded with the introduction of further designs, new sizes from 50ml up to 1l, and a variety of colour options.
The entire range is produced in regular fl int, which offers a 28% higher recycled content at 33% than the extra or cosmetic fl int glass commonly used for premium spirits, which is approx. 5%. Other colour options, offering an even higher recycled content, are planned for the future
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The design focuses on the 100% sustainable production of O-I expressions. The window illustration reveals the vibrant future consumers would contribute to by purchasing the sustainable bottle.
TITLE: BRIGHT FUTURE
DESIGN BY: JOÃO VIEIRA
POSITION: PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER
The design represents the consequences of not being sustainable, such as waste and pollution, as well as contrasting themes of luxury and rubbish.
The ornate illustration represents the luxuriousness of the brand, whilst the name ‘waste spectrum’ signifies the threat of pollution. The faded colour scheme also symbolises the decaying planet, and textures were added to give richness to the drawing.
TITLE: WASTE SPECTRUM
DESIGN BY: DIANA MOREIRA
POSITION: FINALIST
TITLE: GENIUS OF LONDON
DESIGN BY: RITA PIRES
POSITION: FINALIST
The design represents the threat rising seawater levels pose to the UK, and suggests the flooded London depicted could become a reality in several years. The addition of mythological marine animals is to give the sense of sinking over multiple years, as the animals lurking in the depths could come to surface if given time. The tropical design is to reflect the bottles contents, i.e. rum or another cocktail component, and features endangered plants. The latter is to remind consumers of the beautiful world which could be lost if urgent action is not taken.
TITLE: CHERISH
DESIGN BY: RODRIGO VILLALBA
POSITION: FINALIST
