Signlink - October / November 2023 - Issue 249

it to life by printing the large piece on its Durst 512R and stitching it together prior to installation. MacroArt’s group account director, Mike Hamling, comments: “This is a new high for our partnership with Blenheim Palace. Not only is it our biggest installation to date with them, but it is also fantastic to support such a great cause that is Oxfordshire Youth. Witnessing young artists take inspiration from seeing their designs now in situ. “Our team worked so hard to bring this to life and I think we’ve created something that we can all be very proud of.” Samantha Vaughan, marketing manager at Blenheim Palace, adds; “What a wonderful project this was! We are extremely delighted with the outcome; our entrance is definitely a showstopper and we couldn’t have done this without the team at MacroArt helping to create this bold and vibrant artwork.” Celebrating Musical Royalty Heading state-side now and Minuteman Press Nashville used its HP Latex 360 printer to help produce a set of striking graphics for a major exterior front of house full vinyl wrap project at the Grand Ole Opry House, an iconic music venue located near to its facility in Tennessee. The Grand Ole Opry House is regarded as one of the most legendary music venues in the US, having played host to household names such as Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Cash. Minuteman Press Nashville has worked with the venue on a number of projects during their ten-year partnership, though its most recent building wrap initiative stood out in particular. The venue approached the company to help refresh the building’s exterior with eye-catching images of singers who have performed at the hall. However, one of the main challenges of the project was the surface of the building in that it is stamped concrete, made to look like a rough-cut cedar wooden surface with deep woodgrain. There was also more than a half-inch difference between the faux planks, making installation trickier than standard building wrap jobs. Minuteman Press Nashville printed the graphics in-house on its HP Latex 360 large-format machine, printed onto 3M IJ-480 Vinyl and laminated with 3M 8520 Matte Overlaminate using a GBC roll laminator. Outdoor graphics printed using the HP Latex 360 can last for up to five years when laminated. “The exterior, as all large branding projects do, began with an intense set of measurements and a write-up of all inclusions and challenges with the surfaces,” Minuteman Press Nashville owner, John Taylor comments. “We then created an Illustrator template for their art department, advising on the best practices and highlighting any areas to which they should pay special attention during design. “I’m extremely happy with the job. I really am humbled and honoured to be given the opportunity. Now, for the less-than-humble perspective; it was an intense scope of work – and we got the job done! We’ve had only positive feedback about this installation and people are loving the new face of the Grand Ole Opry House.” London Calling On the subject of iconic structures, back in the UK, Ocean Outdoor recently secured planning consent to erect a purpose-built sleeve around London’s Marble Arch. The primary aim of the initiative is to generate funding for an English Heritage restoration project at the 19th Century arch. Coverings will be designed to illustrate the three main gated arches of the 14-metre-tall structure it surrounds. In total, out-of-home displays at the site will comprise six arches and four panels, with these facing traffic and pedestrians on either side of the intersection. The wraps will only remain in place while restoration works take place. The first brand to take advantage of the new advertising opportunity was Vodafone, which used the location to celebrate its designation as Best in London by European network testing agency NET CHECK. The Vodafone campaign ran for four weeks, with the six arches and four panels of Marble Arch transformed to feature hoarding with Vodafone's distinctive red branding. Revenue from the advertising opportunity will be going towards the conservation project. Maria Koutsoudakis, Vodafone’s UK head of brand, comments: “We are incredibly excited to be the first brand to take an OOH [out-of-home] spot on the new Marble Arch advertising sleeve to recognise our reliable, award-winning network being named ‘Best in London’. This unique opportunity at Marble Arch is the perfect way to celebrate, allowing us to give back to London by playing a part in supporting the conservation of one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.” Ocean Outdoor UK chief executive Phil Hall, adds: “This has been one of the most ambitious installations we have ever undertaken and to get it right required a monumental collaboration from all the partners involved. Ocean is privileged to be able to offer this unique advertising opportunity and I can’t think of a better launch partner than Vodafone to mark its Best in London award.” This is just a small selection of some of the excellent work carried out by forward-thinking companies within this sector. With new ideas being tried out all the time and businesses continuing to push the boundaries, we can look forward to even more innovation in building wrap production. ▲ Full wraps will cover Marble Arch while restoration work takes place at the historic monument TASTE FOR SUCCESS / BUILDING WRAPS 55 Issue 249 - October / November 2023 email: news@signlink.co.uk

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjM0NDIxOA==