When AG Barr decided to launch its ‘Bru’s Your Clan’ campaign, the Scottish soft drinks manufacturer looked to digital to realise its ambition -to offer 57 different tartans on two varieties of bottles.
Launched in December and running through March 2015, the new Irn-Bru tartan campaign was designed by jkr for AG Barr, and the more than 6 million labels were printed by Amberley Labels, the company which was also part of the Share a Coke phenomenon.
The limited edition packs are available in 56 clan tartan designs, covering the top 100 most popular Scottish surnames from Anderson to Young. The 57th design is a special orange and blue Irn-Bru tartan for those consumers whose name is not on the list. Aimed to coincide with Burn’s Night on 25 January when shoppers are actively looking for products that reflect their Scottish Heritage, it is hoped to add extra revenue during the post-Christmas period. The 2 litre and 500 ml bottles are only on shelf in Scotland, but on the Find Your Clan website anyone can find their clan, read a few ‘fun’ facts and print off labels at home.
Variable to the rescue
Once again the hero of the story is digital label printing with its agility and flexibility to print limitless amounts of variable data at a moment’s notice.
The 6 million+ run was produced on Amberley’s HP Indigo WS6xxx series presses with Americk Webtech providing the material and OPP label expertise to ensure bottle production was at its optimum speed. Technical director at Amberley, Richard Geller, explained, ‘Digital printing allowed us to use different elements of the customer’s original artwork, as variable data, removing the need to create 500+ individual artworks.’
The ‘Bru’s Your Clan’ campaign is good example of the current trend, where leading brands use a powerful combination of flexible packaging and digital print, to increase brand awareness and interaction with their customers.
This type of personalisation, perhaps more correctly described as ‘versioning’, shows no sign of slowing down in popularity as brands fight for attention on shelf and tries to find even more ways to engage with consumers. Limited runs and the personal angle have proved a persuasive combination in the soft drinks battle.
Strong on brand innovation, AG Barr seems to be on the right track with revenue growth indicated by the latest figures released. Its trading performance in the final quarter of the financial year, which ended on 25 January 2015, shows growth of over 5% in the period after a slow third quarter.
Digital expert
Proving its digital expertise, Amberley Labels is making its mark on the label printing scene with another big success under its belt. The printer has been operating for over 30 years, more than half of those at the current location in Blandford, Dorset. The purpose built manufacturing site houses sales, reprographics, pre-press, production, finishing, training, quality assurance and technical support. With £6 million in sales and over 60 staff, it serves a wide range of market sectors and many market leading brands.
The company first began producing digitally printed labels using HP Indigo technology in 2003 and has invested heavily in the process ever since. As well as Coca-Cola, recent customers include big names like Farrow & Ball, Fortnum & Mason, and celebrity chef James Martin.
