Special packaging from lager sponsor at UEFA Euro 2016 Carlsberg. Photo: Carlsberg

A Sporting Year - Special Packaging marking UEFA 2016 and Olympics increases Anticipation

A Sporting Year 2016. The year 2016 is very much a sporting year with not one but two major sporting highlights. Until 10th of July the best footballers in Europe will be fighting it out for the grand trophy and in August the Olympic Flame will be burning in Rio de Janeiro for 16 days

The special player portrait imagery on German Coca-Cola cans comes care of Indonesian illustrator Gilang Bogy. Photo: Coca-Cola Company

The special player portrait imagery on German Coca-Cola cans comes care of Indonesian illustrator Gilang Bogy. Anyone so inclined can also design their own photo like this online and with a little luck they might even find themselves printed on selected cans. Photo: Coca-Cola Company

While sportspeople prepare to win gold, silver and bronze medals, trade and industry are targeting the development and production of special limited editions that successfully promote business, both in the run up and during the events. Alongside national flags and football and Olympic motifs many of these products also feature the faces of the sporting idols.

Causing a particular stir is Ferrero’s packaging for Kinder chocolate to mark the UEFA Cup featuring the portraits of German football stars as children in response to the radical online response to accepting players with a migration background. Photo: Melanie Streich.

Provided the weather “plays ball”, during the Euro 2016 and Olympic season many spectators will use the opportunity to fire up their barbecues. And this also means cold drinks – mostly those made of hops, barley and yeast, obviously plus snacks. So it comes as no surprise that most packaging featuring special motifs occurs in the food sector.

As official lager supplier to UEFA Euro 2016 and sponsor of, amongst others, the England Team, Carlsberg hat brought out a special limited edition of their lager cans.

In France Coca-Cola’s special edition in aluminium depicts the heroes of the French national team. Photo: 2016 redlabels Inc.

1972: Belgium with the new flavour “Pommes & Ketchup Style”, 1980: Italy with “Pizza-Flavour”, 1996: England with “Red Chilli” and 2016: with the hopeful “Cheesy Chees” edition in anticipation of another winning year for the German team.

Little gifts maintain friendship – and whet the appetite! For instance, with the countdown-calendar from Hamburg packaging developer Pacproject that works according to the wheel-of-fortune principle, with a little surprise every day. Photo: Prototyp, Pacproject.

For those wanting something a bit stronger Rexam has designed a special Jim Beam Bourbon & Cola can to mark UEFA 2016 featuring the silhouettes of German national players and echoing famous footballing hymns. Photo: Rexam.