Graphics Turn an Eyesore Cooler Into a Showpiece Promo in Historic Plaza

PRINT SHOP: ALD Decal & Graphics | alddecal.com
LOCATION: Canton, Ohio
TOOLS AND SUPPLIES: HP Latex 700 printer, 3M Envision Print Wrap Film LX480mC, 3M Envision Wrap Overlaminates 8550M.

CANTON IS A CITY in northeast Ohio rich in sports history. Primarily known as the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in 1963, the city’s NFL ties go even further back. On September 17, 1920, Ralph Hay, owner of the Canton Bulldogs, held a meeting with other professional football team owners. The American Professional Football Association was born at this meet up, two years later rebranding as the National Football League. That historic meeting of the minds is why the NFL considers September 17, 2020, its official centennial.

A month after the historic 100-year celebration, Canton unveiled Centennial Plaza, a vibrant public space in the heart of the city – a short walk from the site of Ralph Hay’s momentous meeting. As the plaza continues to grow, the city recently tapped local PSP ALD Decal & Graphics with an unusual ask: take a newly installed food cooler — bland and brown and ugly — and turn it into a show piece of Canton’s football heritage and modern ties to the NFL.

Working with Dirk Rozich Illustration for the design, the shop brainstormed materials that could offer long-term durability on a textured surface with expansion joints. “We wanted a product that was extremely durable to handle the surface texture, as well as the extreme surface temperature changes throughout the year,” says Eric Hogue, president, ALD Decal & Graphics. “The summer sun can make that surface 110-120 degrees [F] and the cold winters can get down to 0 degrees [F].”

The PSP went with 3M Envision Print Wrap Film LX480mC and 3M Envision Wrap Overlaminates 8550M imaged with an HP Latex 700 for the 43 x 10-foot cooler wrap. “This project pushes boundaries because … it’s a cooler wrap!” says Hogue. “How often do you see a cooler become a piece of art?!