Pyramid Visuals Blog

Pyramid Visuals have taken on some of the big brand names in recent history, producing work for Audi, Costa, Greenpeace and currently Sky. It has been both interesting and challenging for me as a new employee, in understanding my part in the organisation process of such a large project. We embarked on this project at the end of 2010, as one by one, each Sky vehicle reached us to undergo its transformation process.

Having been involved in the management and administration of such a project, I can now share with you some of my experience here at Pyramid Visuals….

In the beginning…

25 promotional vehicles in total passed through our hands at Pyramid over recent months, including Vauxhall Zafiras, Smart cars and a few exhibition Lorries. Each vehicle with its existing wrapping was dropped off to us by an independent driver, checked over, and signed in with me, at Reception.

Each vehicle was then inspected by a team of sub-contractors. Ken Priddy (of Ken Priddy Sound ,Lighting, Communication,) temporarily set up base in our hanger next door, where he and his team instigated the process of assessing each vehicle, testing and repairing the internal Hi-Tech equipment.

And so…

One by one, each vehicle was moved into the factory where our team began to strip the old vinyl. The vehicles had originally been completely wrapped, and the process of removal was a lengthy one!
Once this had been achieved, the vehicle was then cleaned and prepared for the next stage…

As part of this project, our Graphic Designers had reviewed and modified the artwork supplied by Sky. This ensured the artwork would fit the vehicle’s individual dimensions and minimise material wastage, once printed.

Having ensured Sky and the team were happy with the artwork, it was then sent down to the production factory where it was reproduced using our HP5000 printer. We chose to print onto Avery 1900, a vinyl suitable for temporary wrapping but also durable, due to its quality and finish.
Our fitters then embarked on applying the vinyl to the vehicle, as each panel was printed off. Once complete the vehicle was returned back to the hanger to await a full valet.

After the remaining vehicles had undergone the transformation process, it was then time for some of the fleet to leave us and return to Sky. Independent drivers slowly began to filter back in, and it was my responsibility to ensure each vehicle had been checked and signed out before the keys were handed over.
The remaining vehicles were retained in our hanger until Sky returned with their production team…

Sky used our premises to film their latest training video for internal purposes, and spent a few days alongside us. Once enough material had been filmed, the last few vehicles were then signed out, and the project drew to a close.

It has been fascinating for me to observe how such a task is managed, organised and controlled. There are many people involved in each stage of the process, from the signing in of each vehicle, through to purchasing and ordering, production of artwork, printing, and fitting the new vinyl.
I now possess a deeper understanding of the processes involved, and fully appreciate the organisational aspect, having played my part.

As another successful project is complete, so our business continues to thrive here at Pyramid Visuals… We can be sure to see Sky again in the near future!

For more information and quotations please contact our team on 01932 33 88 99.

Hannah Clark

Having been badly let down by a previous vinyl wrapping supplier, Pyramid Visuals were contacted in something of a panic to try and help rectify a predicament a client had been dropped in. With less than half a week to go to meet the deadline for a large outdoor event, we were tasked with digitally printing and wrapping 10 contemporary-styled Rickshaws in bespoke Arsenal / O2 branding.
All seemed well on the face of it – the deadline was unrealistically tight, our fitting diary was totally booked out for the remainder of the week leaving no space to squeeze the job in, the Rickshaws were delivered still partially wrapped from a previous job and as for the material being in stock, we simply didn’t have time to wait for new stock to be delivered. So a fairly routine job it was then …!
Having re-jigged the fitting diary, pacified many concerned Pyramid employees about the limited turnaround time, stripped the vehicles in preparation for rebranding wrap and sourced enough material to do the job, we waited for the artwork to be sent through … and we waited and waited and waited.
Finally, with a day and a half to go until the job was due to be unveiled to the public, the artwork was eventually sent to Pyramid and the professional yet slightly ‘frantic’ printing and subsequent fitting session began – and continued long into the evening. The following day, the client decided to pay an adhoc visit to our offices to inspect the quality of print and the quality of Pyramid’s fitting capabilities – as the previous suppliers hadn’t been able to achieve the correct colour shades or achieve a good enough finish for the end client.
Upon leaving Pyramid’s premises the client not only expressed their appreciation at the speed and professionalism in overcoming the many hurdles that we’d been presented with, but also commented that they were so impressed with the manner in which Pyramid had reacted so efficiently and the quality of finished product witnessed that they were to use Pyramid Visuals as their preferred supplier for all future business.
Rick, Pyramid Visuals – Sept 2010

Designing and Preparing the Vehicle for Wrapping
Design work for vehicle wrapping is much different than design work for flat graphics or banners or any other vinyl application, according to experts, and preparing vehicles for installation is critical to the appearance and life of the wrap.
Designing for Vehicle Wraps

Knowing the vehicle

Knowing the shape and size of the vehicle and all its nuances is a critical part of the design process; therefore, taking measurements before you do any design work is a must. You really have to have a good handle on templates, templates are so key because positioning is critical. If you have to do a lot of reprints, then that could break your business. Experts also recommend an auto library that contains vector images of cars, trucks and buses and a digital camera with which to take pictures. The goal is to know every millimetre of the vehicle. If you don’t take time to do this up front, then you could end up with text over a door handle. Even though you are wrapping a box trailer, for example, measurements are still important because there are slight differences that could cause major problems during installation.

Read the rest of this article on our website

Here’s the Audi Ad featuring the hotrods that were wrapped by Pyramid Visuals.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c9GmwTiuGk

In January 2010, prestigious advertising agency BBH London approached Rouge Films and Pyramid Visuals to provide vinyl wraps and graphics for their new Audi R8 television advertisement, having gained notoriety from their experience of working with TV productions on such projects as wrapping the Millennium Building for the Channel 5’s Gadget Show.

As an avid car lover and self confessed petrol head, Director Justin Murray was delighted, added to the fact that he has located Pyramid Visuals within Brooklands Park, the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit, constructed at Weybridge, Surrey in 1907.

The concept and storyline from BBH involved a theme of ‘Beauty and the Beast’, depicting Audi’s brand new R8 Spyder as the beauty surrounded by ‘beasts’ in the shape of some of the most marvellously beaten up old Hot Rods/stock cars in the world.
Production company Rogue Films sourced the 22 cars from all over the USA and UK.
The Hot Rods were then shipped directly to the Pyramid Visuals warehouse in Surrey for the transformation to begin.
In an intense race to the clock due to shipping delays, the Pyramid Visuals team of Graphic engineers worked as four teams of two, around the clock for four days to get the cars ready for the TV Commercial shoot.
Digitally printed on the HP9000 solvent printers, each car was given a unique and striking vinyl wrap design which was then carefully applied to each vehicle using Avery materials.
As the pressure mounted, the Rogue TV crew came to film the preparations and capture the progress of the Pyramid team as they worked their magic, turning each car into a personality.
The camera crew have produced a ‘making of the commercial’ documentary, which will be available to view in May on the Pyramid visuals website.
It perfectly captures the intensity and dedication of the Pyramid Visuals team to get the job done, perfectly, and on time – and naturally it was great to be part of ‘team Audi’.
On the day of the shoot everything was ready and the 4 day filming began.
Shooting in Excel London, the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ story involved all the noise and the attitude of Hot Rods, each one carrying its own distinctive design such as a skull and crossbones, or a crazy mouth with big sharp looking teeth, driving furiously around and missing each other by inches.
Naturally the Audi R8 glides through the carnage and escaped unscathed, looking like the perfect hero. The Audi R8 Launch advertisement, shot in March is due to screen in the UK during May 2010, was an original concept created by Kevin Stark and Nick Kidney for BBH London, and is directed by Sam Brown from Rogue Productions.

To view the commercial, the making of the commercial documentary and all the Hot Rod cars and designs, go to www.pyramidvisials.co.uk Justin Murray, Pyramid Visuals commented. ‘In all truth, when I got the call I was very excited. Working on this type of project is a lot of fun and it’s exactly what we’re all about here, pulling together as a team to get the job done perfectly. We work on many vinyl wrap projects, so we’re used to turning it around quickly and getting it right first time and this proved to be key with the quick turnaround needed on this project.’ A spokesperson for BBH commented “The vehicle decals worked very well for this project. Pyramid Visuals managed to get the graphic designers ideas for the wraps and graphics into a reality making the cars characters really come out better than our expectations”

Press Further information on this press release including images, please contact Justin Murray – Pyramid Visuals either by email Justin.Murray@pyramidvisuals.co.uk or 01932 338899.

What is Vehicle wrapping ?

Outdoor media has become a vital element in advertising and the media mix. It plays a complementary role to several advertising tools and can also stand-alone.

Outdoor has become a multi-billion pound industry that includes roadsides, above and below ground ads – and most recently, moving vehicles.

When we hear about outdoor advertising our thoughts automatically gravitate toward billboards and storefront signs. One medium within the outdoor arena that is sometimes overlooked is vehicle wrapping. Vehicle wrap offers an advertising tool that doesn’t wait to be seen but goes out and proactively markets itself. This approach is quickly becoming an outdoor standard as a cost-effective complement to billboards.

Long commutes are becoming more acceptable as the population moves farther out into the suburbs. These longer commutes also make it harder to reach potential customers. Those are prime demographics for most advertisers. And what better way to reach them than by sitting next to them for a couple of minutes at a traffic light? The vehicle wrap can be thought of as a rolling billboard that’s in constant movement and covers vast areas (including the places all the other media can’t reach). Wherever consumers travel in the course of a day a vehicle wrap is sure to be there, driving your message home.

Vehicle wrapping is the new mobile outdoor advertising medium and seems to be popping up in every major city in the UK and abroad. Wrapping vehicles is about placing large detailed decals. Applying them to vehicles is a very sophisticated process involving being able to print on the vinyl films and perfectly cover the vehicle with that advertisement. A good wrap must be able to cover the windows but not impede visibility and its vinyl materials must be weather resistant to heat, UV, cold and wind. Adherence to the vehicle shell is important, as the wrap must stay on without it peeling off, before purposely being pulled off. Lastly, the vinyl must be easily removed without damaging the vehicle surface with an adhesive residue or even worse, stripping the exterior paint off the vehicle.
car & van vinyl wrapping