Brand Security: The Future Is Now!

The counterfeiting of tobacco brands has grown into a worldwide problem. But a Swedish company has a sensational security product at the ready that can help tackle the issue in a stride.

By Thomas Schmid

Every once in a while a remarkably innovative product sees the light of day and brings about some substantial transformations in the tobacco industry. The e-cigarette comes to mind, just as much as filter capsules or – going further back in time – the simple acetate mono filter. When Swedish company Rolling Optics AB last year invited Tobacco Asia’s editorial team to a demonstration of its “3D micro-optics ” security and anti-counterfeiting solution, we admittedly were a little skeptical at first. But, we soon broke out in a chorus of excited oohs and aahs, marveling at the amazing product laid out in front of us.

The sample consisted of a simple A4-sized sheet printed with an abstract pattern of squares and seemingly laminated with some sort of transparent foil. As soon as this writer placed one of his hands flat on that mysterious surface, magic happened. My hand “sank” deep into the surface, not dissimilar to slowly submerging it in a bowl of water. The abstract pattern dissolved, the square patterns completely surrounding my hand, floating underneath it and even hovering above it. This wasn’t a regular hologram. This was something entirely novel. The surprising effect undoubtedly was an optical trick, an illusion. But how? I was clueless. So were my colleagues.

Let’s go back to the very beginning. In 1995, Uppsala University, northern Europe’s oldest higher education institute with eight Nobel Prize winners under its belt, inaugurated a new cleanroom laboratory. Dedicated to researching and developing micro-structuring technologies, the lab turned out numerous start-up companies over the following years, including in 2005 what is today Rolling Optics.

“It was a logical move for me to found a company as soon as I had discovered a potential to commercialize my findings while I was doing my diploma work at the lab,” recalls the company’s c.e.o., Axel Lundvall. ”It was our ambition to develop various optical applications in thin-film materials. They all had in common that they would be manufactured using a [substrate] roll-to-roll process, hence we dubbed the company ‘Rolling Optics’.”

A new world opens up

One of these projects was Rolling Optics’ proprietary “3D-microoptics ” technology. “I figured out the basic principles behind the technology by studying the mutual interference of two patterned films,” explains Lundvall. “Once I had made dedicated samples, a new world had opened up all of a sudden. The optical properties of these first samples were outstanding and I realized at once that this could be something big.”

Lab samples to prove the viability of a concept are great, but not enough to market it. “I understood that a new printing technology had to be invented that had to have a much higher resolution and be more precise than anything that was commercially available at the time,” Lundvall says.

It subsequently took him a few more years to realize these needs. “But today we have successfully implemented a patented printing method which to our knowledge is the most highly resolved printing technology in the world with an accuracy of up to 100 times better than competing micro-printing technologies,” Lundvall claims. He adds that the extremely complex printing process coupled with a number of other highly advanced technologies makes the “3D micro-optics” product literally impossible to copy or counterfeit.

Suitable for any security application

“3D micro-optics” can be used for pretty much any security application, be it authentication labels, security stickers, tax stamps, closure labels, and anything in between. In 2010, the company was ready to introduce its first labels that utilized the new technology. Two years later, Rolling Optics, in collaboration with French fragrance brand Chanel and Swedish communications electronics brand Ericsson, began mass-producing labels to showcase how leading manufacturers could boost their brand security and thus safeguard against counterfeiting.

“Chanel and Ericsson were so impressed that they immediately became our first commercial customers,” Lundvall says. “Since then, we have expanded globally and many other leading brands are making use of our labels, enabling us to deliver hundreds of millions of them annually.”

Today the company serves some of the best-known prestige brands in the world, including exclusive spirits, cosmetics, electronics, and other high-end consumer products, according to Lundvall. Even the Bank of China decided to adopt “3D micro-optics” labels in 2016. “All commemorative coins and banknotes sold in China by the China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation now carry warranty labels provided by Rolling Optics.” Some tobacco manufacturers have in the meanwhile likewise joined the bandwagon.

“Rolling Optics labels have been successfully used for a number of years on some brands of chewing tobacco and shisha tobacco pouches primarily in the Middle East,” asserts the company’s c.s.o., Axel Brangenfeldt, adding that he is confident the labels “could soon make an appearance on premium cigarette brands in Asia and other markets as well.”

Unmatched by any other security solution

Brangenfeldt’s reasoning for this prediction is sound, too. 3D micro-optics, he says, could easily be adopted by cigarette brands, as the company already has customized solutions ready to be applied to the production line. “Even information for track-and-trace purposes, such as QR codes or serial numbers, can be incorporated if needed.”

He also argues that most security solutions for cigarette packaging used today are not easy to locate because they are hidden, which makes it practically impossible for end consumers to determine if they’ve actually purchased fake cigarettes or the real thing. “Our technology offers an overt solution so consumers can authenticate the product themselves and be sure that their cigarettes or other tobacco products are indeed legit.”

Last but not least, Brangenfeldt also cautions that other commonly used overt security solutions might not be as secure as they’re supposed to be. “Holographic labels, for example, are easily counterfeited nowadays.” He claims that shisha tobacco and chewing tobacco manufacturers who have switched from holograms to Rolling Optics’ solution have quickly seen counterfeits diminish, leading to increased sales and profits plus improved consumer assurance. ”Rolling Optics is recognized within the security industry as the producer of the highest-quality micro-optics solutions in the world. Holograms, hitherto the security standard in many parts of the world, are now gradually being replaced by Rolling Optics´ 3D security applications.”

The Shrouds Are Lifted

That all sounds swell and highly intriguing. But still: how does the product actually work? After all, it was that very burning question that had tormented the Tobacco Asia team since that mind-blowing demonstration late last year. A few months hence, company founder Axel Lundvall was finally willing to lift at least some of the shrouds concealing “3D micro-optics”. According to him, it utilizes an effect called “optical parallax” to manipulate the brain’s perception of light and to create the illusion of three-dimensionality. Tiny microlenses embedded in a top film layer focus light on to certain spots on an underlying polymer film.

That bottom film is micro-printed with a complex patterned image that incorporates meticulously calculated information including depth and lateral positioning. In order for it to work, that digital pattern must be extremely well-defined and registered, particularly with regards to the exact positioning of the pattern in relation to the microlenses.

“An A4 sheet of foil could thus easily contain information in the size of several terabytes,” divulges Lundvall. “These extreme manufacturing requirements go far beyond what can be achieved with conventionally available printing technology, and therefore our specialists at Rolling Optics had to literally invent and develop a completely new manufacturing concept.”

Tricking the brain

The three-dimensional effects are not limited to images on the substrate underneath the micro lens-studded film, but images can also be created above the top film’s surface. The human eye and brain are hard-wired to experience objects at a distance, for example when seen through a window. If an image seemingly “floats” in the air above a surface like a ghostly mirage and we attempt to touch it only for our hand to “fall through it”, our brain has trouble processing what our eyes apparently see. And it was this effect that that was responsible for the surreal – and wholly surprising - experience we had during the already mentioned demonstration.

In simpler words: The image that our brain assumes to be a real object that can be physically touched is in fact not physical at all but just a projection of light. “The only natural phenomenon comparable to this kind of effect is the rainbow,” Lundvall says. In that context, Rolling Optics’ “3D micro-optics” technology has also nothing in common with holographic printing.

“Holographic prints use only one layer of structures, whereas we must register two layers of microprinting and microlenses in a very accurate fashion,” clarifies Lundvall. “This is extraordinarily hard to achieve and when compared to holographic materials is what creates an impassable barrier for counterfeiters.”

No chance for counterfeiters

That is of course not to say that some criminal elements have not potentially laid their eyes on Rolling Optics’ amazing product. “We must assume that counterfeiters already have analyzed our materials and that they might try copying them,” concedes Lundvall. But, he quickly adds that it had cost Rolling Optics many years and enormous capital to develop the product. “In our opinion, it would take other legit printing technology companies at least ten years to get to the point where we are now. And it will take even longer for counterfeiters to rudimentarily emulate our product, provided they can even come up with the capital needed for such an endeavor.” By then, Lundvall says, his company will have progressed to its next-generation product, an optical solution that in essence is already in existence but details of which he prefers to keep under tight wraps for the time being. But one thing is clear: counterfeiters will not stand a chance to catch up.

Safeguarding a trailblazing product

With such a futuristic technology on the line, it is only logical that Rolling Optics has taken great care to protect its commercial interests. For example, no technology transfer is on the books even for the largest blue-chip clients, who will have no choice but to order their labels and other security products directly from the company. Secondly, Rolling Optics safeguards its inventions with a veritable line-up of patents, 35 altogether to be exact. Another 20 patents are currently pending.

“We hold patents – or pending patents - primarily in Europe, the United States, China, Japan, Korea, India, Mexico, and Russia,” elaborates Lundvall. “We also put a lot of r&d resources into our future technology as well as upcoming patent applications.” “In addition,” Lundvall adds, “we have over the last 15 years built up an extensive portfolio of secret know-how that we guard vigilantly, a measure that is just as important to us as our patents.” It’s a good idea.

How costly is it?

Begs the final question: What is the price point of a tremendously attractive, resoundingly counterfeit-safe and fully customizable security product like “3D micro-optics”? Well, it isn’t exactly dirt cheap; but then again it certainly also is not out of the financial reach even for a mid-range tobacco brand. “With the returns gained from decreased counterfeits and the resulting increase in brand value our solution has proven to be very cost efficient,” Lundvall says reassuringly. And cost is not everything.

”Anyone who has ever seen our solution is fascinated by it. The striking visual features are an integral part of our security concept since they attract consumers’ attention and empower them to verify the purchased product’s authenticity. A security solution that no-one sees is of no use. And this is the biggest difference between ‘3D micro-optics’ and any other competing anti-counterfeiting technology.”

“3D micro-optics” Pros

The three-dimensional effects are unique in their appearance and cannot be simulated using any other technology

The technology is completely new and hence there is no know-how available to counterfeiters

The extremely advanced and complex in-house production process incorporates cutting-edge technologies and software applications not easily obtainable

Both the production system and technology used are entirely proprietary to Rolling Optics and not sold or marketed to outsiders

The technology and know-how behind “3D micro-optics” is kept a closely guarded secret and deployed at only one single production site in Stockholm, Sweden