It was the middle of summer, and we found ourselves standing in the Fairmont Vancouver’s parking garage holding tape measures, dazed expressions on our faces. Mazda was planning the worldwide launch of their SkyActiv engine technology, and we were in charge of wrapping the entire parking garage (pillars included) in floor to ceiling custom wall vinyl. The project started off innocently enough—a phone call from the events company and a quote for one large wall graphic led to an order. However, the Mazda project grew larger than any of us ever anticipated. A few hundred additions later, we had a 3000 sq. ft project on our hands. Here’s the kicker though—it was all rush. They planned to hold the launch in the next two weeks, and we had yet to finalize the entire scope of the project. This was a perfect time to throw the towel in, but we didn’t budge. We knew there was a way to deliver, we just had to rack our brains and imaginations for the answer.

Strategy & Logistics

We had to talk strategy and logistics, and fast. Firstly, we had to get the client to finalize the scope of the project. Next, we knew we had to get into that parking garage to take measurements—exactitude was key. One wrong measurement and we would be back at square one. We painstakingly measured every centimeter of the parking garage, drew it all up, and sent it off to Mazda’s advertising agency in L.A. Now came the worst part—having to wait for designs and decisions to be made while our rapidly approaching deadline loomed.

A Sense of Humour

Anxiety hovered over the project managers. We felt like sitting ducks in one of those carnival games, just waiting to hear the “Ping!” of the BB bullet on our yellow, painted bodies. This was when our sense of humour saved us. Laughing at the absurd pressure we were under helped us get to D-day, when the agency would brief us on what designs they had come up with, and for which wall/pillar/shed/buttress.

The Hustle

The designs looked great, and we all knew it was time to hustle. We greased up our engines and started working ‘round the clock. Renders, sketches, and conference calls reigned. Kaoru Seo, the advertising agency’s creative director, even made plans to fly into Vancouver for a day–the last, crucial day before we needed to go to print. We had to make sure that no integral part of the design was compromised by an inconveniently placed air vent, pipe, or light switch. We did test prints to ensure that the design came out identical onscreen and on vinyl–all we wanted was a pleased nod of approval from Kaoru. We did version after version of proofs until our vision started doubling and our hands began to shake from all the coffee. Finally, Kaoru arrived. He sat down, cracked open his MacBook, and brought up his proofs. Then he looked at each and every one of our proofs, contact sheets, and test prints. We are quite proud to tell you that he happily gave us his blessing. That afternoon, we had a barbeque in the back with Kaoru ; a sort of premature celebration.

Print Day

This was the day we had all been waiting for—when the project was taken from our trembling hands and thrust into the trusty, mechanical hands of the printer. We pressed print and breathed sighs of relief. We ended up printing 3000 sq. ft. in 2 days, and our seasoned installers had a tight 1 day to install everything. Thankfully, they didn’t let us down (they never do) and did a beautiful job.

Celebration

A celebration was in order! We had rejected compromise through imagination, rallied up enough spirit to defy convention, and pursued a better way for both Speedpro and Mazda. The launch was a massive success, with hundreds of reporters from all around the world covering the event. Mazda went off extremely pleased, and have been coming back to us for more work ever since. Here is what Kaoru Seo, Creative Director of Mazda’s advertising agency, has to say about the project and our hard work:

“In the worst of circumstances and for the best of reasons I found myself flying into Vancouver to help Mazda create a space for one of their product launches.

It started out as a group I have never worked with before and I think it ended with my having a new resource to use when I have a need in the area. Speedpro really came through.  They took the time to work with what we had created and through a healthy collaboration we came up with workable adjustments to make the space come to life.  I can’t say enough about their open mindedness and willingness to put in the hours they needed to bring this rush of a job together.

They understood the parameters of our brand and executed within those.  Bravo.”

Here are more photos on our Facebook page from the event. And while you’re there, take a second to “Like” us—God knows we deserve it.

It is a moving billboard that  costs approx. $0.02 per day.

2) Volume

It takes 9 times for people to see your brand for them to remember it, and having the mobile billboard driving around their city or parked in their neighborhood increases those chances substantially. Vehicle wraps are viewed by over 72,000 people per month.

3) One-time Investment

There are no on-going costs to maintain a vehicle wrap.

4) Protection

Contrary to popular belief, vehicle wrapping actually protects and preserves your paint job, given it’s installed by a seasoned professional.

5) It’s Removable

It’s removable; just bring it in and one of our experienced installers will take it off for you.

To see concrete results from vehicle wrapping, check out the case study we did for our client Men In Kilts here.

Men In Kilts is all about window and gutter cleaning—with a kilted twist. Started by Nicholas Brand in 2002, the local startup is now franchising across North America. A loyal Speedpro client, we talked to Co-Founder & Chief Brand Architect, Brent Hohlweg about the decision to expand Men In Kilts through vehicle wraps.

Men In Kilts

The idea for kilt-clad window cleaners roaring forth in tartan trucks first came to founder Nicholas Brand while sitting on his back patio, enjoying an afternoon beer with his mates. The idea arose from his Scottish heritage, and some remarkable branding chops. “The deeper he looked into this, the more he realized this was one of those A-HA! moments.  It’s so simple an idea, yet so powerful. “ said CBA Brent Hohlweg.  “We’ve created a million dollar plus business out of it; focusing on positioning the brand (and that includes our tartan trucks) with a remarkable service experience, that our customers have loved talking about”.

But why vehicle wraps over any other marketing tool?
Brent says “Vehicle wrapping is probably the number one way to get your brand out into the marketplace because it ensures your business is being talked about. It takes 9 times for people to see your brand before they remember who you are and what you’re offering. Having a vehicle driving around a targeted local marketplace increases your exposure and builds business.” “Small business owners may be hesitant to spend a little more on this type of marketing, but it’s seriously the best investment they can make.  If you look at it over the 4-5 years that the vehicle wrap is going to be in place, it’s actually very low cost and significantly contributes to new lead generation.”

Men In Kilts went from wrapping one vehicle to wrapping a fleet of over ten because “Our first vehicle literally doubled our business once we had it ‘tartan-ed’ and ‘graphic-ed’.”

How do you use the vehicle wraps to their full advantage?
“We use ‘parketing’, which is parking the vehicles (esp. the larger tartan cube trucks) in highly visible locations, or using them as mobile billboards travelling around the city. We drive a significant portion of our business just by having the vehicle in a certain neighborhood. The ‘graphic-ed’ vehicles are a really huge part of our marketing.”

Why Speedpro?
Men In Kilts Founder, Nicholas Brand and Co-Founder Brent Hohlweg, initially chose a different company to do their first wrap. “We went with one of the larger suppliers that had done a lot of high level stuff; at that point they had done work for BC Ferries I believe.” However, Brent and Nicholas weren’t too pleased with the end product. “The vehicle wrap was done in such a way that it started bubbling and wrinkling within the 1^st year, and the company never lived up to the warranty promises.”  Nicholas and Brent missed the personalization of service, “Nobody seemed to care enough to follow up with any of the problems. We’ve learned finding a great installer is a huge component of vehicle wraps, as well as receiving the right level of follow-up service.”

“At the end of the day, Speedpro was chosen because of the personalization of service and their honest, trustworthy, caring team. Speedpro is hands-on and perfect for small businesses because they are a small business themselves. They know where you’re coming from, and give you the attention to detail you deserve.” We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves. Many thanks to Brent and Nicholas from Men In Kilts Window & Exterior Cleaning for their time in creating this case study.

We decided to do printed, contour cut decals instead of a full wrap since the Num Num trailer was painted white and in great condition. This is an affordable alternative to full coverage; it also gives you more room to play with your design because they come in individual decals.

We also printed the text out to match the lime green of the Num Num superheroes’ capes. Our six colour print process allows us to hit the closest colour matches possible. We also accounted for the fact that the decals would be facing Vancouver’s elements, out on the streets everyday. Kiddies and pets scratching the decals while waiting for their “nummy” Vietnamese food was also something we took into consideration. Consequently, we decided to print all of the decals with UV fade and scratch resistant solvent inks and further reinforce them with laminate.

Check out the final product, and make sure to drop by their food truck for some nummy eats!

Num Num Food Cart

Num Num Food Cart

Hungry for more vehicle wraps? See what we did to help the IRIS Visual Group Ride to Conquer Cancer!

You can also browse through the gallery to see more of our products.

The Tic Tac wrap is indubitably our favourite, as well as being the most involved. It was a full wrap, meaning every single square inch of the vehicle was covered in vinyl. It all started when Chris from CG Motorsports handed one of our designers a 4 inch model car and asked us to recreate it on the same E30 M3. We took the job, and have never looked back since. Our installers had a great time familiarizing themselves with all the small, distinctive details—these classic BMW’s have a heart and soul that, as Chris said, the new stuff just lack.

Check the photos out for yourself, and let us know what you think.

Interested in more vehicle wraps? See how we helped Red Dragon Apparel and Mills Basics solidify their branding!

The initiative started when Francis Jean learned of Rémi’s diagnosis.  Looking for a way to spend more time with his brother and keep cancer research ongoing, Francis decided to launch the not-for-profit project.

We helped them create buzz around the project by wrapping the enormous 38 foot motorhome they were taking along for the ride, as well as an Acura MDX. Check out the photos:

IRIS Motorhome

IRIS Acura

If you’re not a cyclist yourself but would like to support the cause, you can go to IRIS to donate or learn more.

You can also take a look at some photos of their amazing journey so far.

Speedpro Canucks Decals

Speedpro Canucks Decals

The Canucks spirit has been running through the Vancouverite’s veins for over 40 years. You can find it subtley lining every conversation, dwelling in local haunts, or buzzing on the city’s streets.

We’re proud to say that the Canucks have lived up to all the hype, as this season’s President’s trophy winners and Western Conference Champions. Did we forget to mention that they’re taking us to the Stanley Cup finals?

In celebration of this mind-blowing turnout, we’re giving away Canucks decals to anyone who drops by our Richmond office. Stick it on your car and honk your horn to welcome the first finals game on home ice.

Where: 150-12011 Riverside Way near the corner of Steveston and No. 5.

Hours: We’re open Mondays-Fridays, from 9-5.

Drop by for your free decal before they’re all snapped up!

…But there’s more, kids. Enter into our contest to win a set of large Canucks decals for your ride. Check out what we did with some of our cars!

Speedpro Canuck Cars

How to enter:

We will be posting one Canucks question on our Facebook and Twitter pages per finals game. Like/follow us to answer the question and be entered in. One entry per person per game.

What you win:

1 set of 3 approx. 20″x20″ decals will be given out per finals game. Decals will be the classic Skate, Killer Whale, and Rink logos. No installation included.

The contest starts May 27, 2011 and ends June 10, 2011.

We unfortunately were not able to go up to Whistler to see it happen, but Brad sent us some photos thanking us for the help afterwards. We’re happy to report that it went off without a hitch, and that Sarah said yes! Whistler officials even let the banner stay up a few extra hours, and everyone was buzzing about it. Check out some of the photos of the two lovebirds below.

Prior to the actual cycling event, ambassadors also had the chance to form teams to raise funds and pledges. From this emerged Rocky’s Rockstars, a team dedicated to honour a young man diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma who passed after 14 months of battling the disease. The team was formed to honour Rocky’s brave battle with cancer, and to continue to support initiatives bettering the lives of cancer patients. We donated a custom artist canvas to one such fundraiser, where it was auctioned off. The lucky winner will be getting the custom canvas for a fraction of the price.

 We’re so pleased to be part of a cause as meaningful as this, and we hope we’ll have the opportunity to do this again in the future. For others who would like to support Rocky’s Rockstars, please follow this link and make a stand against cancer.

Below is a sample of the custom artist canvas we will be donating. The winner will be able to translate whatever image he wants onto canvas. 

Artist Canvas