The No Label Look: 4 Reasons to Use it for Craft Beer

We usually associate the look of craft beer labels with natural paper and synthetic paper that’s better at repelling condensation than the former. But there’s a new type of label popping up on craft beer — and if you look too fast, you might miss it.

It’s called transparent labeling, also known as the “no label look”. It’s a synthetic label — usually plastic or vinyl — that’s crystal clear, except for drink information and branding elements. Aesthetic features of the label seem to float on the bottle, creating a sleek, modern, minimalist look that associated with the benefits below.

Some craft beer seems as heavy as oatmeal. On the flipside are pilsners that are lite and refreshing like German breakfast beer. The lite, minimal aesthetic of the no label look creates a clean, clear bottle that looks as crisp as the beverage inside. Use the no label look for your entire line or a special light beer whose character the look seems to emulate.

Some brewers focus on creating a highly unique bottle. The large Grolsch bottle is a good example, with a unique hand grip formed in the glass, along with a resealable stopper top. If you have a brew that eschews the standard longneck bottle and creates a unique shape, a no look label can help shoppers notice the nice design.

Some craft brews — meaning the beer itself — are interesting to look at, especially bottle-conditioned editions that have a natural layer of sediment on the bottom from the ingredient maturation process.

The sediment may look unsightly to the non-craft-beer-hound, but specialists like to tilt the bottle and judge the consistency of the layer to surmise the smoothness of the drink when the layer is disturbed and suspended. A clear label helps craft beer aficionados get a good view of bottle conditioning.

The no label look gets its aesthetic from ultra clear plastic or vinyl that’s so transparent to the point of near invisibility. Keeping the label in place is permanent adhesive that forms a strong bond between label and glass. Paper labels can get torn during shipping, stocking, and purchase, but transparent labels typically look as good in the customer’s hand as they did coming off of the production line.

Interested in the No Label Look?

If you aren’t sure, let us do a digital mockup of your beverage and show you what a no label aesthetic would look like. You might decide to use it for a particular brew, more than one, or not at all. If the no label look gets a red light, that’s a step forward, too, as it helps guide you to the right label by narrowing the field.

For assistance with label selection, give us a call today at (262) 790-2740, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!