bluemedia Features NBA All-Stars on Wrapped METRO Light Rail Train
 The Metro Light Rail in Phoenix debuted the first-ever wrapped advertisements on its mass transit system earlier this year, to promote the 2009 National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star game. The rail campaign ran from January 26, 2009 — February 16, 2009.
SGIA member company bluemedia (Tempe, Arizona), was the innovative force behind the special NBA All-Star themed design. A leading print provider of vehicle, large format and environmental graphic applications, bluemedia was approached by Metro Light Rail in early 2009 to produce the unique rail wraps. They were asked to develop guidelines that would be used on all wraps, as well as a comprehensive survey of the rail cars and final production templates. Two and a half weeks after initial notification from Metro Light Rail, bluemedia got the green light and production began for the high profiled project.
All of the wraps were produced using a HP Scitex TJ8300 printer onto 3M IJ180C Controltac vinyl with gloss laminate. The cutting-edge technology enabled for pressure-sensitive adhesive applications and dye-sublimation banners to build the exclusive NBA All-Star game design.
“The HP Scitex TJ8300 Printer was an ideal solution for this one-of-a-kind wrap,” said Andy Salcido, account executive at bluemedia. “We decided to use this printer, which we consider our workhorse, because of its high speed, extremely high resolution and image quality. We were able to print the wraps for all four cars in less than six hours and were very satisfied with the final product.”
According to Salcido, fitted panels were created for the vehicles, which helped to speed up the installation process and minimize the amount of trimming on the trains. This included 40 Controltac vinyl pieces and 26 perforated window pieces for each light rail vehicle. Approximately 7,200 square feet of vinyl was printed for all four cars. The 3M IJ180C was used for ease of installation and removal, as the wraps were only on the cars for about four weeks. “We could have used a less expensive material for this project, but if the City of Phoenix decides to ultimately sell the space, this would be the only material specified,” Salcido added.
The wrapped light rail project highlighted six of the 2009 NBA All-Stars. The featured players included: Kobe Bryant of the Los Angles Lakers, Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns.
“The NBA provided bluemedia with the creative design and we made sure that all elements fit correctly onto the light rail cars and that there were no obstructions to the players’ faces or the logo,” said Salcido. “We had very detailed drawings that were supplied by the manufacturer, but still went on-site and did an actual survey to ensure proper fit.”
Although this was the first-ever light rail train to be wrapped, bluemedia did not find the job to be any more difficult compared to other vehicle wrap projects. “There were really no distinct challenges for these wraps,” Salcido said. “The only challenge was time, considering we had to produce all four vehicle wraps in less than three days.”
The NBA All-Star wrapped light rail project was highly successful for the City of Phoenix and bluemedia. Although this special project was a one time deal, bluemedia is confident that the final product will help Phoenix officials decide whether or not to pursue light rail wrap advertisements in the future.
Follow bluemedia on Twitter.
|
