2023 is the inaugural year of ProjectFLEX: an annual print project showcasing the capabilities of the amazing women in the flexographic industry. Courtney Lesley got the idea for ProjectFLEX from working on promotional print projects with her employer. The idea behind ProjectFLEX was to develop a way for women in the industry to work together to create something that they normally wouldn’t collaborate on.
In addition to her position as Digital Marcom Specialist for tesa, a creator of sustainable adhesive solutions, Courtney also serves as the Marketing Co-Chair for Women of Flexo (WoF), a group of industry members within the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) who work to support and promote women in the flexographic industry through a variety of opportunities. When the WoF marketing team was discussing ways to be more involved with the industry, Courtney presented the ProjectFLEX idea. A team was formed, consisting of:
The first project the group tackled? Beer labels!
Amor Artis is a family-owned brewery located in downtown Fort Mill, South Carolina. Much like the Women of Flexo, this organization focuses on supporting and educating women in the beer industry. Each year on International Women’s Day, Armor Artis brews a limited edition beer, Boss Lady, using a special blend of hops from the Pink Boots Society. Courtney approached Amor Artis about Project Flex, and it turned out that Amor Artis had never designed a label for Boss Lady. The project was a perfect fit.
After meeting with the brewery to learn more about them and their Boss Lady beer, Courtney browsed design websites for ideas and trends and using her favorite elements of the designs she saw created five design concepts. She presented them to a small group of WoF leaders who chose a favorite that was presented to the brewery – and they loved it. Pulling inspiration from flexo and rowdy past times, each label features a unique dual-tone design that screams “Boss Lady.” The labels were printed at Clemson University. Kenny Tucker, Project Coordinator for the Sonoco Institute, oversaw the project with help from Clemson Graphic Communications Lecturer Michelle Fox and students Bella Velarde and Megan Brown.
“Working with Clemson to complete ProjectFLEX was such a great experience,” Courtney enthused. “Kenny was an expert coordinator and was such a tremendous help. He even hand-delivered the finished labels to the brewery! We couldn’t have done it without him. We also owe a huge thank you to Michelle, who sounds like a troubleshooting rock star. I know the team ran into a couple of snags during the press run, but she and her team worked through everything and we ended up with some beautiful labels. I’d love to meet everyone and thank them in person!”
The final project debuted at FTA’s FORUM & INFOFLEX 2023. A 4-pack of the beer was displayed at each partner booth with a display sign explaining more about the project. The Women of Flexo also held a social event where they showed off the beers and explained the project to other women in the industry.
