BYOB Goes Ultra

In Dallas, locals often refer to it as “the Hangar” – the American Airlines Center entertainment arena is home to not only professional basketball and hockey teams, but also serves as a major site for the city’s concerts and other entertainment.

When brewing company Anheuser-Busch sought “a unique and unparalleled sponsorship experience” at one of the Center’s rotundas, it turned to its long-time print services provider, MetroMedia Technologies (MMT, www.mmt.com). The result: the entire five-level rotunda replete in Michelob Ultra graphics, including the ceiling; a suspended 10-foot 3D replica of a bottle of the client’s beverage; a fully functional beer dispensing bar also adorned with graphics; and a backlit diorama.

Nick Fasulo of MMT concepted and designed the project and graphics, using images supplied by Anheuser-Busch and adapting existing client advertising. Following some requisite color matching and a PDF rendering of the rotunda, MMT was given the green flag to proceed with the print work.

All output was executed on the shop’s Epson Stylus Pro GS6000, making use of the printer’s high-resolution capabilities, reports MMT account director Paul Calce. For the rotunda’s wall and ceiling graphics, MMT output onto 3M Controltac 180C graphics film with Comply adhesive, matted with 3M Scotchcal 8520 matte laminate; this media combination was also used for graphics on the working bar. In all, 2100 square feet of graphics were produced over two days.

“The client wanted full coverage of all levels of the rotunda,” says Calce – a goal that would be achieved in the four-day installation process, but not without some challenges. “Because of the rotunda’s height and circular shape, an articulating Teupen lift was required to access all areas,” he points out. “Another challenge was with alignment; due to the circular shape, alignment can be challenging, so we employed multiple laser levels to ensure a clean install.” An MMT team of three took on all of the installation work.

Taking center stage was the 3D bottle prop. Sculpted from EPS foam and measuring 10-feet high and 3.5-feet in diameter, the bottle and cap were painted; the label and graphics, however, were printed, also using the Epson (the usual nutrition label was replaced with the standard graphics for readability’s sake). It was then suspended 40 feet from the ceiling and 12 feet above the floor with stainless-steel cables, which attached to anchors on the prop; a custom brace supports the cables.

MMT custom fabricated the bar from veneer and stainless steel. Featuring 10 taps, the bar was adorned with Michelob Ultra graphics on its front and side. Its graphics were output with the Epson GS6000 onto 3M Controltac 180C graphics film with Comply adhesive. “They’re intended to be changeable in case the client wants to switch them out in the future,” says Calce.