All-Star 2017: Printing with Resilience

Electrobot Creative partnered with Crystal Clear Imaging (CCI) to take over New Orleans superwide-style for NBA All-Star 2017. Here, CCI shares how they came to be who they are as a company today.

“We’ve been around since April Fool’s Day of 1999, which is always a good way to start,” says Arthur Boisfontaine, president and CEO of CCI. But the company’s history is no laughing matter; they’ve faced enough trials and tribulations to put any business under. September 11th changed the economy, forcing them to find areas that were “recession-proof.” Then came Hurricane Katrina.

“We lost all of our clients,” says Boisfontaine. “When I say all of them, I mean all of them.” But, with a facility located on high ground, CCI was both fortunate and determined enough to keep its doors open. Suddenly, they had a “crisis-evoked client base” that needed signage for rebuilding efforts across the city. Traditional communication methods like landlines and cell towers were decimated; signage was king.

Visitors to the Sheraton New Orleans were greeted by towering All-Star players from both conferences. Column wraps were printed using CCI’s Gandi Jeti 5000 onto UltraCanvas Heavy S285.

It’s evident that surviving and flourishing in the Katrina crisis made CCI the company it is today. “It really engrained this work ethic unlike any other company in our industry,” Boisfontaine says. “We get things done.”

“The company went from being a signage solutions company to more of a partner in long-term concepting, long-term plans, and implementation,” adds Marlande Mauberret, VP of marketing and sales strategies. “We were more of a comprehensive company after that.”

The following year, CCI landed a partnership with the Saints, which led to a good referral and eventually a deal with the Hornets [now Pelicans] when they returned to town. They grew into a powerhouse of sports branding, landing their first NBA All-Star job in 2008 and working with major teams like the Chicago Bears and the Oakland A’s.

Check out the rest of Big Picture's April 2017 edition or read more about Electrobot and CCI's superwide takeover:

All-Star 2017: The Textile Revolution

All-Star 2017: Prepping Print for 28 Locations

What It Takes to Be an All-Star