Advertising images are everywhere. With all of these competing voices, it’s increasingly important to effectively use the space you have to convey your message. As products and technologies within the industry continue to evolve, any surface can become a marketing tool.
When the Merchandise Mart of Chicago needed a large-scale cover for the drywall barricade partitioning off the food court while it was under construction, they knew exactly where to turn. We took their ideas and ran with them. In just a few days the barricade cover went from a vague idea to a concrete reality. Since we handle all aspects of printing in-house we were able to move from design to construction to installation within four days of the initial meeting with the client.Don’t be fooled by the fast turnaround—this project was anything but simple. In fact, it presented some unique challenges.
First, the graphics had to fit the rough construction specs of the barricade, which ran for 300 linear feet and stood 10 feet high. Luckily, custom sizing is kind of our thing. Using 3M-160-10 Control Tac film substrate, we created graphics featuring iconic historical figures at a larger-than-life scale that we were able to mold to the construction barricade. This high-quality adhesive film is specially designed to provide the flexibility needed to fit the barricade’s unique surface area while maintaining the highest quality large-format graphics and the durability to last long-term.
The next challenge was integrating a unique structural element into the design. We wanted the graphics to have a see-through element that would allow curious visitors to peek through and catch a glimpse of the ongoing construction. We had to come up with a way to cut holes in the drywall and install transparent inserts that matched the rest of the design and could also withstand a large number of people looking through and touching them.
Incorporating the transparent panels required some ingenuity, but the final product was something spectacular.
“The walls were wrapped with the graphics as shown, with the eyes of the graphics being cut out of the drywall. We then routed ¾” thick clear, acrylic inserts that were pushed in from the backside with a circular image. This allowed people to peek through into the construction,” explains Gary Schellerer, Jr., the VP of Operations for ER2 Image Group.
Every project we complete has its own unique challenges, but we tackle each one head-on. The Merchandise Mart project is just one example of our commitment to meeting our clients’ needs, regardless of the scale of the project or how tight their timeline is. Images are a powerful way of communicating and we want to help close the gap between your imagination and reality.
No idea or space is too big. If you can dream it up, we can bring it to life.
