There is some excellent packaging out there but let’s be honest – when was the last time you could say “that truly surprised me”? If you honestly can’t remember, then it’s time you entered the weird and wonderful world of the “Alive By Night” drink labels.
Designed by Graphic Brands to show off a new line of 5 fluorescent Foils from our friends at Foilco [projects / website], these labels feature compelling artwork inspired by Mexican Day of the Dead aesthetics, horror in all its variety, and ’80s nostalgia.
And when you turn out the lights, that’s when the fun – and the surprises – begin. Placed under a UV light, each label comes to glorious life thanks to those fluorescent Foils.
Printed and Hot Foil Stamped by Reflex Label+ on Avery Dennison Fasson Matt Wine labels using dies made by Dreyer Kliche, each of the 5 “Alive By Night” labels conceals its own unique design “surprise,” just waiting to be illuminated by a blacklight.
So why glow-in-the-dark drinks labels, you ask? Because it’s almost impossible to read liquor bottles behind the bar in dark nightclubs, which means people usually end up ordering something they already know. The hope is that glow-in-the-dark labels – complete with eye-catching designs – will get people to try new beverages.
So far, so clever. But what you and I want to know is this: “How did they achieve this effect?” Let’s take a close-up look at 2 of those labels.
In the case of “Sugar Skull Glitch,” the skull illustration and the “glitch” distortion effects were all added using the 5 Foilco UV Foils – Club Pink, House Orange, Smiley Yellow, Trance Green and Clubbers Transparent – with CMYK flexographic printing filling in the remaining details. As you can see, the registration here is super-tight, while the tactile effects from the Hot Foil Stamping make the label feel as intriguing as it looks.
Inspired by cyberpunk aesthetics and current gaming trends, the label for “Wavelength Gin” features only 1 Foil – Smiley Yellow UV – which pops magnificently thanks to its solid Black background, and an overprinting of digitally printed Black tones.
As you can imagine, many adjustments were made on press to attain just the right contrast between the Black hues and the Yellow Foil, including the overprinting which actually makes the Foil appear translucent in places.
Recently we’ve seen a growing trend of designers using invisible UV inks to promote interactivity with the pieces they design, including an impressive notebook with “secret” cover illustrations, produced by our good friends at DataGraphic.
Now with Fluorescent Foils to add to the mix, what you design is limited not by your imagination, but by your audience’s ability to find a blacklight…or a dark nightclub.
Is glow-in-the-dark the same as fluorescent?
Great question. Yes and no….
Technically they differ, but in everyday language they are often used interchangeably.
“Fluorescent” foils (and inks for that matter) boast exceptionally vibrant qualities under daylight and blacklight conditions.
When exposed to UV light, the foils/inks emit an incredible glow that is impossible to ignore, making them perfect for use in nightclubs, bars, and other venues where the lights are low.
“Glow in the dark,” on the other hand, technically refers to inks and materials that ABSORB light (fluorescent or black light) and then slowly release it in the dark. The longer you expose the ink to the light source, the longer and brighter it will glow in the dark.
Hope that helps.