The In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA), Scottsdale, AZ, has announced the winners of its eighth annual competition. Awards were presented during the 2014 IMDA Symposium, Oct. 22-23 in Skokie, IL, and honor the industry’s best in-mold labeled packaging and in-mold decorated durable products. The award-winners were chosen based on design creativity, engineering and innovation. New categories for this year included Best Thermoformed Durable IMD Part and Best Prototype Part/Package. Here are the winners for 2014.
Best Injection Molded IML Package
Gold Award
TrustPack – Uncle Ben’s
Submitted by: IPL Inc.
Brand Owner: Mars Canada
Molder: IPL Inc.
Label Supplier: Inland Label
Mars Canada approached IPL looking for a container that was reusable, easy to manipulate and easy to dose/portion for a Chinese New Year promotion. TrustPack fit the company’s needs and had the added benefit of IML. Once the contents were consumed, the container could be reused. The handles on the side made handling easy. A user-friendly window was integrated into the artwork and featured dosing indicators.
Best Injection Molded Durable IMD Part
Gold Award
Logitech Mouse Top Housing
Submitted By: In Mold Technology Inc.
Brand Owner: Logitech
Molder: In Mold Technology Inc.
Label Supplier: In Mold Technology Inc.
In-mold decoration allowed the customer (Logitech) to achieve its design intent of a rich, high-gloss finish while incorporating a second-surface gradient graphic for maximum first-surface durability for this capacitive-touch mouse. This product was run high-gloss in both black and white.
Best Injection Molded Durable IMD Part
Silver Award
Advanced Dual Air Technology Controller
Submitted By: Serigraph
Brand Owner: Sleep Number
Molder: Serigraph
Label Supplier: Serigraph
The remote’s attractive high-gloss piano black and matte silver finish, along with its back-lit buttons, created an elegant, durable and practical device that enhances the Sleep Number experience. IMD provided the required durability, allowed for multiple colors, made it easy to switch SKUs in molding due to different button configurations and reduced post-mold decoration to save resources.
Best Part Design
Gold Award
KFC Go Cup
Submitted By: CBW Automation
Brand Owner: KFC
Molder: Berry Plastics
Label Supplier: Korsini-SAF
This innovative food service package featured an in-mold label around a divided cup which could fit into a car’s cup holder. The package helped drive Kentucky Fried Chicken’s new snack menu last fall and was featured in Super Bowl commercials. The in-mold label featured KFC’s branding and logo and easily could be changed for promotional or seasonal artwork. Yum Brands and Berry Design Center collaborated on the unique design.
Best Product Family
Gold Award
Film Seal Round
Submitted By: IPL Inc.
Brand Owner: Arla Foods
Molder: IPL Inc.
Label Supplier: Inland Label
Arla Foods Canada was looking to re-launch its Tre Stelle brand of fresh cheeses to give its packaging a more premium look. IPL provided the Film Seal Round container to meet the customers objective. Arla went from white offset printed containers to IML decoration with assorted color lids to differentiate the products from one another. This enabled Arla to have a premium look and feel that benefited Tre Stelle as a whole.
Best Product Family
Silver Award
Skippy Singles
Submitted By: Inland Label
Brand Owner: Hormel Foods
Molder: Berry Plastics
Label Supplier: Inland Label
The clear film label substrate allowed consumers to see through the re-sealable canister and view the six single-serve cups inside. It also featured a clear front panel and small back panel so consumers could see when they needed to purchase more.
Best Thin Wall Package
Gold Award
64oz. IML TRIM Pail
Submitted By: StackTeck
Brand Owner: KFC
Molder: Srithai Superware
IML enabled high-quality decoration of the TRIM (Thin Recess Injection Molding) part, which had wall thicknesses about half that formerly considered possible with conventional thin-wall molding technology. A full-wrap label provided extensive coverage of the container over a large surface area, enabling a dual message presented on opposite sides of the container.
Best Thermoformed Durable IMD Part
Gold Award
Hino Hybrid Badge
Submitted by: TASUS Canada
Brand Owner: Hino Motors
Molder: TASUS Canada
Label Supplier: TASUS Canada
This unique, flexible (conforms to contoured surfaces) IML badge utilized a bright chrome fluoropolymer film that was environmentally friendly and highly durable. Six separate screen printed colors, plus a UV protective clear coat, provided a very cost-effective method to produce a multi-colored thermoformed part. Complex registration and tight tolerance forming was achieved through distortion art and a precise control of temperature across the printed sheet.
Best Prototype Package
Gold Award
IPL SkinnyPack
Submitted By: IPL Inc.
Molder: IPL Inc.
Label Supplier: Precision Press
SkinnyPack, a thin, yet strong packaging technology, fused a flexible, printable film to a sturdy, rigid frame. It offered remarkable IML graphics for greater shelf appeal. SkinnyPack used less plastic and was, therefore, lighter for improved eco-sustainability. The combination of the thin, lightweight film and sturdy frame allowed it to stand out on the shelf and attract consumer attention.
