An Oven-Roasted Shelter

The Client Caribou Coffee

The Players Pixelwerx (pixelwerx.net), Colle+McVoy (collemcvoy.com), CBS Outdoor (cbsoutdoor.com)

Tools & Supplies Epson Stylus Pro GS6000, Epson UltraChrome solvent inks, Sihl 3686 TriSolv PrimeArt paper, Herculite Bantex Blackout scrim banner, 50/50 Northlight Color Perf, InteliCoat Magic SCF-7, Onyx ProductionHouse X10 RIP

The Job Seeking to promote its “hot ‘n wholesome” menu items, Minnesota’s Caribou Coffee paired with local ad agency Colle+McVoy to develop a marketing message that not only would showcase the chain’s hot breakfast sandwiches, but also actually share the warmth with pedestrians by producing three specially designed transit shelters.

The shelters would mirror the look of an oven as well as the feel – complete with coils acting as built-in heating systems to keep Minnesotans warm during the winter months. And they’d offer a glimpse into the “life” of a breakfast sandwich, all the while garnering both local and national media attention.

Out-of-home media company CBS Outdoor contracted local print provider Pixelwerx to produce the graphics for the shelters. The graphic work comprised shelter posters, a banner for the top of the shelters, and window graphics for the interior of the structures.

Production A prop-production company helped the team determine the best structural substrates to use to give the shelters a realistic “oven appearance,” while having the ability to withstand Minnesota’s harsh winter conditions and also be substantial enough to prevent vandalism.

Specs were provided to Colle+McVoy, which created the Caribou graphics using Adobe Creative Suite then couriered the image files to Pixelwerx. For output, Pixelwerx produced all graphics utilizing its Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 with Onyx ProductionHouse X10 RIP, using Epson UltraChrome inks.

The transit poster graphics on the sides of the shelters were output onto Sihl 3686 TriSolv PrimeArt Paper; the top of the shelter was printed with 18-ounce Herculite Bantex Blackout scrim; the glass graphics (interior back wall) were printed onto 50/50 Northlight Color Perf with removable, clear adhesive; and the window tint was output onto InteliCoat Magic SCF-7. No finishing was necessary for any of the graphics.

“The biggest obstacle was the number of materials used in the job. Five different media were used, plus adhesives,” says Pixelwerx president Adam Carver.

CBS Outdoor handled the installation and permits required for all aspects of the three shelters, including the heat elements. The orange coils within the transit shelter used the power equivalent of a heat lamp, so no protective barrier was needed between the coils and shelter visitors, the company reports — all of which added to the authentic oven feel.