FOR MANY LARGE cities, the opportunity to celebrate the local team winning it all doesn’t come around very often. In recent years, cities like Kansas City, Phoenix, and Milwaukee have been thrust into the sports spotlight, and as a result, so have their local PSPs. During a deep playoff run, the city becomes a poster wall. It’s many fans’ dream to see their team hoist the trophy in front of thousands in the middle of their downtown area. It’s the stuff of legend. So when a PSP gets the chance to get the locals excited with impactful signage and branding, it can be one of their most exhilarating projects to install.
For most professional sports teams, creating a truly immersive branding environment requires the help of expert printers. It’s not just simply hanging signs and hoping for the best. The sports-themed work has to be sleek and energetic. There’s an immensely in-depth planning process that happens before the local team has even confirmed their win, in order to meet deadline demands. Let’s take a look at some captivating installations in cities that played host to a champion over the last couple years.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LIV Win
NextPage
NextPage in Kansas City, Missouri, wrapped all of the skywalks and Marriott properties in downtown Kansas City to celebrate the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV victory over the San Francisco 49ers. It was a special installation as it coincided with Patrick Mahomes’ rise to becoming arguably the best quarterback in the NFL. Marriott was eager to capitalize on this and brand their property in a Chiefs theme to attract fans and visitors. NextPage printed the banners using an HP Latex 570 printer onto Magic PPM7 Poly banner material.
“We actually used double-sided nano tape to adhere it to the windows in the Marriott and the skywalks,” says Michael Greenwald, large project manager, NextPage. “It was a quick, perfect option for the installs.” Their work ended up being featured in the city’s celebratory parade as the Chiefs passed under the skywalks on the team bus, fist pumping and screaming to their fans on the streets. NextPage was able to become a part of a special moment in Kansas City history and fill the skies with Chiefs pride.
Advertisement
Phoenix, Arizona
2021 Phoenix Suns NBA Finals Appearance
Image Craft
Image Craft in Phoenix was recently a part of the 2021 Phoenix Suns historic run to the NBA Finals – the team’s first Finals appearance in nearly 30 years. The Suns needed the entrance of their arena, The Footprint Center, to set the tone for the games. They were welcoming fans into the arena at full capacity for the first time in months, and wanted to make a good impression. Enter Image Craft. The Suns’
“Rally the Valley” motto became a calling card for the team during the playoff run, and Image Craft made sure to feature the phrase on the entrance of the building. Using an HP Latex 3600 Printer onto 3M IJ180CV3 Controltac Graphic Film with 3M 8519 Scotchcal Luster Overlaminate, Image Craft installed the wide, sprawling design across the top of the arena’s entrance.
The Suns ended up losing the Finals to the team featured next, but the experience was amazing for Image Craft, and the team loved the installation.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2021 Milwaukee Bucks NBA Finals Champions
Olympus Group
Olympus Group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been molding a relationship with the Milwaukee Bucks for quite some time now, and the rise of star player Giannis Antetokounmpo has put the city back on the national sports map. The team’s increased success has meant more work for the print shop. The Bucks have called upon their branding expertise time and time again as Antetokounmpo continues to propel the team into the spotlight and bring national media outlets to the city. Milwaukee has a proud sports heritage, and the Bucks wanted to make sure they looked their best on ESPN and the like.
Olympus Group printed all of the Bucks’ installations using a Durst P5 printer. The giant “History in The Making” banner hanging on the Fiserv Forum and the banner on the Milwaukee Public Market were printed onto 8-ounce 70/30 mesh with a liner. The other jobs were all printed onto 3M IJ35C Scotchcal film. The Bucks defeated the previously mentioned Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals and brought the trophy home to their expertly branded city to celebrate in the streets. Olympus Group’s work was in the national spotlight, and they served Milwaukee well.
Advertisement