A World Label Award is a world class honour. Seven countries and the whole of Europe take part in the global competition: USA, Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China, Brazil and India.
In order for a company to compete and to win an award, its entry has to win a prize in its own local label awards competition first: TLMI , FINAT, LATMA, JFLP, SALMA, PEIAC, ABIEA or LMAI.
Each of these associations then selects entries for the WLA from its nominated or winning entries.
This year, Collotype Labels Griffith and Ultra Labels, won three gold medals each. Those six gold awards were half of the golds given.
Peter Sage, chairman of the competition, said “In spite of our small numbers here in Australia, we do punch above our weight and win over the odds.”
Allan Dabscheck, president of LATMA, added, “I am proud to say that our LATMA members always manage to produce some of the best labels in the world; as our current awards attest – three gold and two honourable mentions in the 2013 World Label Awards.”
Collotype Labels Griffith scored three gold awards in the national competition for its offset and combination printing labels in the wine and spirits space. Its St Leonards Wahgunyah label, with its rich foiling and embossing techniques, took out the Best in Show – to follow up its gold World Label Award.
Ultra Labels dominated the digital printing categories, with three gold wins for a skincare label and two wine labels. Its Ocean View Estate 2012 Luscious Harvest also won gold in the international contest.
Multi-Color QLD received egold awards in the national competition and honourable mentions in the WLA. Wedderburn Labels' stained-glass design for its Mintaro label and Labelworld WA's Wisemate Caesar Salad Dressing ensemble also achieved recognition.
Peter Sage, who has fostered the awards since its first competition in 1991, was inducted into the LATMA Hall of Fame on the night to much applause. Andrew Maxwell will now assist Sage with future events.
These successes have spurred LATMA's ambitions so this year, it will send out cartons to labellers to remind them to collect their best work in readiness for the national competition.
Operators on the shop floor, as well as managers, will have the chance to put forward their work for consideration so that each company can send the best of its best work and keep samples in mint condition for judging.
This year’s gold label winners are:
• Aser Labels: Happy & Healthy Birdseed (desktop digital printing)
• Collotype Labels Griffith: The Visionary (offset, wine and spirits), Crooked Horse (offset, wine and spirits), St Leonards Wahgunyah (combination printing, wine and spirits)
• Impresstik: Purity Natural Baby Care Range (letterpress colour process)
• Labelworld WA: Wisemate Caesar Salad Dressing (offset, colour process)
• Multi-Color QLD: Ministry of Ice Cream (flexo)
• Wedderburn Labels: Mintaro (flexo, wine and spirits)
• Studio Labels: Fowles Wine Family Collection (combination printing, wine and spirits)
• Ultra Labels: Eco Natural Skincare (digital printing), Ocean View Estates 2012 Luscious Harvest (digital printing, wine and spirits), Clear Water Creek 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (digital printing, wine and spirits)
