When the Milwaukee Bucks bounced into the NBA playoffs in April 2019, fans went wild. To commemorate the pro team’s competitive path, Mandel Graphic Solutions was tapped to spread the Bucks’ battle cry, “fear the deer,” throughout the Wisconsin city.
“This imagery would be seen by locals, visitors to the city, and on national broadcasts of the playoff games,” says Rick Mandel, president of the 125-year-old, family-owned print service provider. “The time frames for installation were tight, as the playoffs were beginning.”
Mandel Graphic Solutions provided “fear the deer” imagery for multiple locations, including two skywalks used to cross the river – which was temporarily dyed Bucks’ green. Using its Gandy Domin8tor (which was used for all the Bucks graphics), the PSP printed in reverse onto Contra Vision Campaign Clear 30 percent transparency perforated window film and installed on the interior of 136 windows.
The Hop, the city’s streetcar, was wrapped with printed 3M Controltac Graphic Film IJ180 on the exterior and Continental Grafix PanoRama Walk and Wall for the interior floor and DCM Magik-Stik for the interior walls and ceiling. The interior was made to look like a basketball court. “The car was taken out of action for just one day and had to be ready for a PR event the next,” Mandel says. Additionally, a 50 x 8-foot vinyl banner was affixed to the top of the city’s Public Market by installers in a bucket truck.
In 2018, Mandel Graphic Solutions printed a Guinness World Record-holding project for the exterior of the Milwaukee Bucks home turf. Printing onto Bild Print Media, the PSP installed seven panels onto concrete to create a 92 x 25-foot “welcome mat” at the entrance to Fiserv Forum to celebrate the new arena.
Read more from Big Picture‘s September 2019 superwide graphics feature.