How does a label company cope with being given just a few hours to create labels for The Apprentice television show?

AJS Labels appeared on the BBC’s The Apprentice UK television show tonight. We were chosen by the producers of the show for our extremely fast turnaround reprographic and digital service. The company was on standby over a 12 hour period with our teams all set to produce top quality finished digital self-adhesive labels as seen on the show.

This was how we did it!

Oct 28th AJS Labels contacted by Hampshire Cosmetics, one of our toiletries customers, to see if we would be interested in an ‘exciting, special project with no financial rewards!’ Always up for a challenge we say yes.

Nov 1st

Talks start with TV company Talkback Thames and our lips are sealed. Told to standby as the The Apprentice’s contestants have to choose between a confectionary project and a cosmetics project.

Nov 7th

8.55am It’s a go! go! go! The team has chosen a cosmetics project. Half will go to work on the product formulation and half on the label design. The teams will work simultaneously but the final design must include the full ingredient spec.

STANDBY!

2.30pm AJS reprographic manager Craig, uploads artwork on special designated FTP site to show exact label sizes and cutter guidelines.

3.02pm The Apprentice team are only just arriving at the cosmetics company. It’s going to be a long day!

STANDBY & DON’T PANIC!

7.01pm Artwork for the label designs finally arrives. Craig works quickly to prepare the files for printing.

7.11pm The labels are printed on our HP WS6000 digital press by Lewis. Mum’s the word!

7.20pm Labels transferred to the Digicon finishing machine for Edgars to varnish, die cut, rewind and box.

CRAIG LEAVES TO GET A PIZZA ON HIS WAY HOME!

7.40pm Operations Director Phil admires our handy work. YIKES! The Apprentice’s Contestants have put the wrong ingredients with the wrong product names. Cancel the courier.

7.41pm Phil phones Talkback Thames to advise.

CRAIG CANCELS HIS PIZZA AND RETURNS TO AJS!

8.09pm New, amended artwork is posted on the FTP site.

8.30pm Labels are re-printed, re-varnished, re-cut, re-rewound and re-boxed!

8.50pm The bottled products are delivered to AJS Labels by the director of the Hampshire Cosmetics.

9.00pm Talkback Thames taxi arrives to pick up labels and products to be finished in London.

DONE. PRINTED (AND REPRINTED) IN LESS THAN 2 HOURS!

And just so you don’t make the same mistake as these young Apprentices – make sure that all your artwork is checked and signed off before going to print – you can never be too sure!

If you’ve missed the episode you can catch up on the BBC iPlayer.