A labeling apparatus has a source of printed labels that have adhesive
backing, a vacuum pickup with two opposable arms, a blower bar to support
a label on air. Each opposable arm has its own vacuum head and each head
is removably attachable to a respective end portion of the label. The
apparatus also has a label position sensor, and the vacuum pickup is
movable from a pickup position to a wrap position. Each pickup arm has a
plurality of spring loaded pins. A two layer label has a backing strip,
an inner layer, and an outer layer, and at least one removable portion of
the outer layer. The label has a neck portion and two end portions, such
that the label set may be wrapped a container with the two end portions
adhered back to back to each other. The neck portion is relatively
narrower than either of the two end portions and is relatively offset so
that it is closer to a front edge of the label.