CCL supplies sleeves for Spirit of London Gin

CCL Decorative Sleeves has supplied high impact sleeves for the Spirit of London limited edition bottle for Beefeater Gin, which are designed to create maximum shelf stand-out for the beverage.

Mixing patriotism with style and a hint of eccentricity, the Spirit of London promotion aims to capture the essence of modern London. The sleeve features a Union Jack design, while the brand’s intrinsic link to London Beefeaters is maintained by a cut-out silhouette of the Beefeater figure which adorns the standard bottle label. As a further unique twist to incorporate Beefeater Gin’s award-winning global advertising, an image of Londoner Justin O’Shea, which was used in the campaign, is incorporated into the Beefeater silhouette.

Advanced technical and printing skills were required to achieve the desired effect for the complex sleeve design. Using 50 micron PET high shrink material printed in nine colours, the Union Jack is created through strong metallic blue and red inks on high opacity white in order to minimise any possible show through of the external design onto the internal image. The image of Justin O’Shea is printed on the inside of the clear part of the sleeve to sit within the silhouette of the Beefeater.

To ensure accurate placement of the sleeve onto the filled bottles, all four sides have to be orientated correctly, while precise weld and fold tolerances during production support the critical horizontal alignment necessary to ensure a perfect fit each time. The sleeve is being applied to 70cl, 75cl and 1 litre bottles.

“This special design really creates a stir on shelf and helps to capture the attention and imagination of gin lovers around the world,” said Katy Buchan, product design manager at Beefeater brand owner Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard.

“It was an ambitious project and we are delighted with the high levels of service and technical support from CCL Decorative Sleeves that have helped us to achieve such an iconic look.”