Signs of the Times - October 2013 - (Page 76)
Rollin’ for the Lucky Seven!
The 7 th Annual ST Vehicle Graphics Contest
By Steve Aust
Now that our VehicleMutoh, has
Graphics
Contest, sponsored by
reached its seventh edition, it’s safe
to say it’s no longer an experiment.
As the vehicle-graphics market has
evolved and matured, so has the
competition. Although we do still
see some wraps with flamboyant
color palates or over-the-top visuals,
most vehicle-wrap designers and
fabricators now emphasize legibility
and compile graphics consistent with
how a viewer’s eye would naturally
interpret a graphic. The gee-whiz
notion of “Look at me, I have a
wrap!” now seems as antiquated as
the novelty of saying, “Look at me,
my business is on the Internet!”
This year, we received 272 entries.
(90% came in the last three days
before the deadline, which generated several more gray hairs on
my scalp – my wife politely says
I look distinguished). With each
passing year, fewer submissions
appear unqualified for the competition. Presumably, this attests to
several factors: better materials,
inks and printers; more educational
resources and certification-program
availability; the growth of the market
as the public becomes more aware
of wraps’ dynamic, cost-effective
reach, which perpetuates growth;
and, above all, the growing talent
and confidence wrap providers
have to tackle any vehicle that’s
brought to their installation bays.
For this year’s competition
judging, we ventured 30 miles
south to Hebron, KY, to Crux
Roadboardz, which wraps vehicles
that range from sedans to semi
trailers. Adam Coffaro, Crux’s owner,
graciously agreed to hold the judging
in his installation garage. In addition
to Coffaro, our other judges included
lead installer Joe Prewitt, general
manager Doug Withrow and senior
designer Jason Fiscus.
CONTEST JUDGES
The judges for the 7th Annual Vehicle Graphics Contest were Crux Roadboardz employees
(left to right): owner Adam Coffaro, general manager Doug Withrow, lead installer Joe
Prewitt and senior designer Jason Fiscus.
76 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / OCTOBER 2013 / www.signweb.com
A few interesting trends occurred;
we noticed a surge in boat wraps.
Some were done for signshop
employees’ vessels, but some seemingly celebrated the “end” of the
recession with a new, wrapped
boat. And, this trend might shoot
holes in the perception that boating
is a passé diversion.
As usual, Service Vehicles and
Promotional Vehicles were the two
largest categories, although not by
quite as large a margin as in past
years. In its inaugural year, Food
Trucks garnered a respectable 27
entries. And, as usual, a disproportionate share of entries came from
the Pacific Time Zone – likely a
testament to a more preferable
climate than back East.
As we progressed through the
categories, three candidates emerged
for Best of Show: SignFarm’s “You
Can’t Lie to Me” RV Wrap, which
promoted a book tour; Arizona
Color’s (Phoenix) wrap for The
Flyer Guys, a flyer-printing and
delivery service; and Great Big
Signs’ (Kyle, TX) collaboration with
Full Print Solutions (North Hollywood,
CA) to deck out a super-sized, icecream truck. Ultimately, Arizona Color
prevailed.
We also initiated the inaugural
Vehicle Graphics Readers’ Choice
Award. Among the 1,585 votes cast,
Xtreme Grafx (Albany, OR) prevailed
among the 11 nominees with its
wrap for Dutch Bros. Coffee (for
more info, see p. 92).
So, let’s hit the accelerator and
roll on to the winners’ circle. Some
victors are fun; some are fierce, but
they all provide strong examples
of how far skill and creativity can
take you in building your client’s
business. ■
http://www.signweb.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - October 2013
Signs of the Times - October 2013
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review - Mimaki’s JFX500-2131 flatbed and UJV500-160 UV printers
Technology Review - Seiko’s UV Jetrix 1212FK and KX5/KX5R flatbed printers
New Products
Rollin’ for the Lucky Seven!
The Inaugural Readers’ Choice Awards
Smart Lighting
The SGIA Preview
Industry News
Enter the ST Intl. Sign Contest!
Advertising index
Editorially speaking
Signs of the Times - October 2013
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