Digital Print Scores at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

It’s go time for the beverage can industry with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Many beverage can brands are launching limited edition aluminium packaging with the printing of a QR code or website where consumers will have the opportunity to access content, including the chance to score prizes or enter to win the experience of a lifetime: a trip to the FIFA World Cup Finals game. Some of these brands such as Budweiser and Coca-Cola have launched limited edition aluminium packaging ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Direct-to-shape digital printing has proved to be a gamechanger as brands can customise marketing campaigns to specific events such as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and one-off promotions. Velox recognizes a growing global demand from beverage brands for more innovative digital decoration solutions. Brands can now take advantage of the technology and solutions’ myriad of benefits, particularly execution of lower production volumes that do not meet the constraints of offset printing, such as small-batch varieties, short-run seasonal and promotional products, or multipacks.

Take for example the image of the beverage can highlighting the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals. The beverage can has been cleverly customized with the quarterfinal team names by using digital printing techniques. To bring this memorable can to fans requires operational flexibility and a quick turnaround time, which is only achieved by using mass production direct-to-shape digital printing.

Offset printing requires a lengthier setup process which includes cleaning up the drams, mounting the plates and few cycles of printing to calibrate the machine to the required design. This makes short runs for sport events or other marketing campaigns not worthwhile and therefore brands do not do it often. Direct-to-shape digital decoration overcomes this challenge by enabling brands to print any quantity run in addition to multiple samples to test that their design and marketing campaigns are resonating with consumers. Traditional printing can sometimes produce variations from copy to copy due to the balance of ink and water as well as drum to container pressure during the run. Digital technology removes such mechanically induced variations. Once the digital file is “locked”, the product appearance is identical throughout the entire run. The Velox digital technology and mass production decoration solutions provide additional benefits and print quality features like a photorealistic quality and extremely wide color gamut, accurate color matching, and new decoration possibilities using Velox’s highly opaque selective digital white to completely block the metallic surface of the can or use the metallic effect of the can to achieve stunning metallic colors. The entire surface of the can is decorated including the neck and chime areas creating beautiful design that makes an impression on the shelf.

The Velox IDS-NC™ Series for necked beverage cans offers a decoration speed that is five times faster than other digital solutions in the market and a high level of operational agility. For example, printing any run length with no minimum quantity required or moving to printing on demand, speeds up time to market and eliminates overproduction. Velox’s solutions offer low total cost of ownership by increasing production capacity with near-zero machine setup time and extremely fast printing speeds.

With brands going digital throughout all aspects of their marketing campaigns, it seems that printing is no different. Just as we all look forward to watching our favourite team win the final of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, brands are beginning to acknowledge that digital print is scoring the winning goal time and time again.