You know the sign business isn’t just about signs. It’s a whole lot more than that! It’s helping solve business problems and promote brands through creative displays of all kinds. For example, a company in Iowa recently contacted us asking if we could design and produce several giant Godzilla-like monsters in Marvel cartoon-style cutouts. Hmmm, sure…
OmniTel Communications was founded over a hundred years ago as a telephone company; today they provide the most up-to-date fiber optic infrastructure in Northern Iowa. As a integral part of the community, they wanted to set up several fun displays during the annual, week long bike ride across the state, called the RAGBRAI. During the ride, bikers stay in hotels or camp out in towns along the route. OmniTel wanted to create a fun experience for riders at four of these stops.
OmniTel’s owner envisioned different scenes from across America as backdrops – San Francisco, the Grand Canyon, a midwest farm town, and New York City. In front of these scenes would be 6’ Godzillas that people could pose with, take selfie’s, and post photos to social media helping to promote the RAGBRAI and his company.
Step one was to find an illustrator that could accomplish the look we needed under a tight timeline. We interviewed several, checked out their portfolios and chose the best fit for our budget. The artwork turned out beautifully and the color from our HP Latex printer is amazing.
Step two was to find an appropriate backdrop. We thought that would be easy since we have a lot of experience with trade shows, but this was going to be outside so it had to be very sturdy. We decided on a 10′ wall display with footings. We’d stake down the feet and tie nylon rope around the top at each end, then stake those in the ground as well – like a tent. The backdrops are made from Poplin material and using a die sublimation technique to apply the graphics.
Step three was to make our Godzillas. For this we used 3M IJ35C-10 and laminated them for protection from the elements. Then we applied the graphics to sheets of polymetal and, using a jig saw, carefully cut out the four different Godzilla shapes. We had to file around the edges of each display by hand to ensure there were no sharp edges. Then we added an aluminum easel to the backs of each, along with conduit brackets so that the Godzillas could be staked to the ground.
Talk about custom signs! A lot of planning, design and labor went into these displays, but the result is phenomenal. Not only will bikers enjoy the original comic-style artwork and fun way to break up their trip, but Omnitel will get some great exposure during this event. Be sure to check out our Pinterest page for more photos after the race (July 20-27, 2014).