By Peter Saunders
Photo courtesy Avery Dennison
Canadian pop star Justin Bieber’s Audi R8 was among more than 25 custom cars wrapped with digitally printed and ‘colour change’ films at the 2013 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Nev., in November. Decorated with a cheetah pattern printed on an Avery Dennison ‘easy apply’ cast glossy opaque vinyl and finished with a cast matte clear overlaminate, Bieber’s car was displayed at the show to help exemplify the creative finishing possibilities of today’s digitally printed and ‘colour change’ car wraps.
Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the show gathered the trade association’s diverse membership of automotive specialty equipment manufacturers, distributors, retailers, restorers and restylers, along with publishers, street-rod builders, car clubs and race teams. This community has shown a growing enthusiasm in recent years for vehicle wraps—no longer merely for advertising and other corporate graphics, but also for personal restyling, as an alternative to paints.
As such, graphic substrate manufacturers have been developing a broader selection of colour change wrap films for the automotive customization market, including variations with matte, gloss, metallic and pearlescent finishes.
Justin Pate, an internationally renowned vehicle wrap instructor and professional graphic installer, worked with Paul Roba, technical support manager for Avery’s graphic and reflective products, to demonstrate these types of films and specialized wrapping techniques for auto restylers at the show in Las Vegas.
“From a Ford Raptor and a Scion FR-S to exotic cars like a Ferrari ZXX Enzo and a Lamborghini Murcielago, cast vinyl films with overlaminates are enhancing many SEMA Show project cars,” said Meghan Lagoni, Avery’s channel marketing manager. “The interest in car wraps from restylers and customizers has grown dramatically.”
Bieber’s Audi was showcased at the booth for West Coast Customs (WCC), a well-known vehicle styling business in Corona, Calif., that has been featured in several TV series, including Pimp My Ride and Street Customs.
