E-paper provides a lightweight, low-cost means of adding moving or flashing images to point-of-sale (PoS) displays and has considerably lower power requirements that alternative means, such as LCD displays.
According to St Ives, Motion Displays' technology is powered by rechargeable lithium batteries capable of powering an e-paper display for five months between charges, meaning there is no need for an external power source.
The announcement follows two successful campaigns completed by St Ives' Digital Media division for longstanding SP Group customer Bacardi, which delivered incremental sales and category share for two of its products: Eristoff Vodka and Bacardi Breezer.
Mark Glover, national accounts manager (Northern Ireland), Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands, said: "Using e-paper, the St Ives Digital Media team developed an innovative solution to help our brands increase message engagement at the point of purchase.
"We're delighted with results to date – up to 79% increase in sales of Eristoff vs pre-period, whilst Bacardi Breezer has increased category share over the past two months. We are now working with St Ives on new e-paper opportunities across our portfolio."
Rob Padmore, head of St Ives' Digital Media division, added: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with Motion Display, one of only two licencees in the world to offer this kind of e-paper technology.
"With Motion Display's technical knowledge and our understanding of the retail environment, we have a clear road map for how we believe this technology can be developed to deliver scalable commercial benefit."
E-paper is formed of millions of microcapsules, around the diameter of a human hair, that contain electronic ink - a combination of positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid.
Applying a negative electric field causes the white particles to move to the top of the microcapsule where they become visible to the user. When the process is reversed, the black particles move to the top to make that section of the display appear dark. This creates an animated, flashing image.
The display is manufactured by printing the electronic ink onto a sheet of plastic film that has been laminated to a layer of circuitry. The circuitry forms a pattern of pixels that can then be controlled by a display driver.
Lloyd Wigglesworth, managing director of Commercial Products at St Ives Group, said: "As a business, we are constantly looking for forward-thinking technology to complement the traditional print services that we are renowned for.
"The Digital Media division was established as part of the business strategy to provide full service solutions to clients, from digital signage to e-paper. Digital Media complements and adds value to our existing print and display offerings, and bringing the next generation in retail digital solutions to market illustrates the direction that the Company is moving in."
Magnus Anckarman, vice president of sales for EMEA at Motion Display, added: "The retail industry is undergoing considerable change, where PoS material is being animated, and the e-paper technology enjoys a unique position between static print and digital signage in the in-store marketing mix. With St Ives as our partner, we can reach all aspects of the UK market, including both brands and retail customers."
