A label application system for applying labels to relatively short, round, straight-walled articles is constructed and designed so that labels to be applied to passing articles are delivered to the label application zone on a carrier web in a short feed orientation, with each label being oriented lengthwise across a width of the carrier web. At the time of labeling, the label is held stationary on a flat vacuum surface, and the label is applied by spinning the articles past the vacuum surface. As a result, the system is capable of labeling articles at processing speeds of at least 450 articles per minute or more.