Best Promotional Vehicles of 2011

FIRST PLACE/BEST OF SHOW

Fabricator
Signs Now #098
Baltimore
(410) 243-7020
www.signsnowbaltimore.com

Designers
Robert McClintock
Jeremy Foote
Signs Now

Installer
Brooks Todd

Client
Robert McClintock

While I compiled the contest entries, this one immediately grabbed my attention. It was a rare submission by a client. In a field full of flames,skulls and pin-up girls, an elegant, slightly impressionistic wrap that depicts Baltimore landmarks stood apart. The judges agreed.
 

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Interestingly, the project carries the inherent advantage of an end user – a digital “painter” – savvy enough to provide first-rate artwork. McClintock presented the photos of his Mini Cooper S from various angles and superimposed digital renderings of several potential artistic themes. Foote used composite photographs for reference to develop production artwork, and the shop and client agreed to emphasize Baltimore landmarks. McClintock provided four, flattened Adobe Photoshop files of his paintings, and a fifth with his signature. At 72 dpi, the files ranged from 30 x 40 to 75 x 150 in. Foote used a combination of Illustrator and Photoshop to create and perfect the graphics; proofs were developed with Adobe Acrobat®.
McClintock’s signature was vectorized by hand with Illustrator.
 

To execute the wrap, Signs Now printed the wrap – Avery MPI 1005 EZ RS air-release media for the body, and Clear Focus Imaging’s ClassicVue 50%-perforated film for the windows – on its Mimaki JV3-160SP solvent-ink printer with SS2 inks. According to Foote, the printer’s set-up of two same-color cartridges per printhead enabled fast, high-quality printing. To laminate the wrap, Signs Now used Avery’s DOL 1060 glossy overlaminate for the body film and Clear Focus’ CurvaLam optically clear topcoat for the windows.
To RIP and print, the shop used Onyx Preflight 7 and Production- House 7. Todd installed the wrap’s seamless panels with Golden squeegees, lots of fresh X-acto blades, heat and his fingers.

 

SECOND PLACE

Fabricator
Palmer Signs Inc.
Roseville, CA
(916) 773-5815
www.palmersigns.com

Designer
Tony Palmer

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Installers
Mike Decker
Tony Palmer

Client
Dario Corso

I’ve never tried Scroppino – a mixture of fruit sorbet, vodka and prosecco, an Italian sparking white wine – but it sounds like a delicious summer libation. And, in a marketplace saturated with decorated Chevrolet HHRs and Scions, Corso’s decision to wrap an American classic – a 1959 Cadillac – to advertise his new company at promotions and special events was a wise move.
 

After an alcohol wipedown, and having prepped the vintage car with 3M Primer 94 adhesion promoter in deep, concave areas, Palmer Signs created the eight-panel, 261-sq.-ft. wrap with 3M Controltac air-release media on a Mimaki JV-33 54-in.-wide, solvent-ink printer. 3M’s glossy 8518 overlaminate will help the tail-finned Caddy keep its sheen.

 

THIRD PLACE

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Fabricator
AZ Pro Group
Avondale, AZ
(623) 907-8438
www.azprogroup.com

Designer
Jeff Jones

Installers
Phil Leyba
Jose Ortiz
Brandon Park
Jason Prenovost

Client
Greenovated Energy

Capitalizing on both the green-energy and vehicle-wrap trends, Greenovated Energy, a provider of solar-energy collection panels and related “green” products, contacted AZ Pro Group for wraps for their sales reps’ vehicles. Jones created the “green” wave and tagline layout using Adobe Illustrator, and the shop produced the wrap using 3M air-release media and Scotchprint 3528 perforated-window film, which was printed on a Roland SolJet III XJ-740 74-in., solvent-ink printer. 3M’s 8518 glossy topcoat protects the graphics.