Clearing the Elephant in the Room

With airport security at an all-time high, the US Department of Homeland Security sought to encourage travelers to join in the safety efforts by being on high alert for suspicious activity. The campaign, inspired by the fact that many travelers claim they aren’t sure what “something suspicious looks like,” encouraged people to trust their instincts with the slogan: “If you see something, say something.”

Maryland’s Integrated Designs, Inc. marketing firm coordinated the campaign and designed floor and wall graphics to be placed in Metro and train stations throughout Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. The final images depicted neglected bags, suspicious silhouettes, and even life-size elephants, and each graphic featured a QR code directing travelers to the Secure Transit website that explains what to look out for and who to tell if and when travelers see something odd.

ITA Promotions (formerly Idle Time Advertising) signed on to handle printing and installation. Output onto Mactac Streetwrap vinyl, the graphics were printed using an HP Designjet 8000 mild-solvent printer, laminated with Mactac Permaflex 6300 floor laminate, and contour-cut with a Mimaki CG130fx cutter.

“Choosing the proper materials that would stand up to the high-traffic and the elements proved to be a challenge. The material needed to be strong enough to bond to concrete and tile and the overlaminate needed to provide a non-slip surface. Streetwrap is not designed for rough surfaces such as the concrete walls, but it worked fine after applying short blasts of heat, and a felt squeegee was used to push the material into cracks and crevices,” says Josh Sweat co-owner of ITA. The majority of the graphics measured 36 x 36 inches, while the elephant graphic was 72 x 72 inches.

To support the campaign graphics, ITA also coordinated and executed outreach teams, which distributed grab bags filled with a flashlight, a wallet card, and a brochure about transit safety at 12 different events over a three-month timeframe. The teams were outfitted with branded “backpack billboards” and t-shirts for increased visibility. The backpack billboards were printed onto an 24 x 44-inch 12-ounce Ultraflex Matte Banner material and hemmed with grommets in the corners.

Over the course of the campaign, 11,000 grab bags and 32,000 informational brochures were distributed to commuters across the region. Outreach teams also gathered campaign feedback by conducting surveys using Android tablets.

INTEGRATED DESIGNS, INC
integrateddesignscorp.com

ITA PROMOTIONS
itapromotions.com