In an effort to strengthen its brand, Ecosteam, which specializes in environmentally sound carpet cleaning, floor care, and interior restoration, wanted to target Madison, Wisconsin, with a new advertising campaign. Print provider OC Imageworks suggested vehicle graphics as a primary marketing method, and when Ecosteam showed interest, the shop pitched its designs.

Production Using a photo of the Madison skyline supplied by Ecosteam owner John Mapes, the OCI design team was able to tie the entire design together across the horizontal space of the van. But when the skyline design was duplicated on a van for the towns of Sycamore and DeKalb, which have less recognizable cityscapes, the initial result was less than satisfactory. Instead, Ecosteam’s owner and OCI’s designers decided to combine the universal appeal of a smiling child with the pumpkins and corn that represent the agricultural heritage of the DeKalb and Sycamore communities.

The images of the little boy were shot in-house at OC Imageworks, and Photoshop and Illustrator were then used to knock out the images and place the boy in alternate settings. The shop relied on its 4-color 63-inch Mimaki JV3-160SP and Mimaki SS2 inks to print on Avery 1005 RS EZ vinyl. Proofs were created using the same system. “We print a small-scale version of the wrap for our client using the material and inks that will be used in the final version. This ensures color fidelity and gives us and the client the ‘what you see is what you get’ confidence needed to go forward with a project,” says David Barrow, president of OC Imageworks.

The shop finished the job using Avery DOL 1000 overlaminate and a GBC Professional 1064 WF Cold laminator. Printing and finishing took 12 hours.

Client Ecosteam, Sycamore, Illinois

The Players OC Imageworks, DeKalb, Illinois (ocimageworks.com)

Tools & Supplies Mimaki JV3-160SP, Mimaki SS2 inks, Avery 1005 RS EZ vinyl, Avery DOL 1000 overlam, GBC Professional 1064 WF Cold laminator.