Vehicle Graphics: Brewing wraps for Steam Whistle

by all | 9 May 2017 10:40 am

By Peter Saunders
Over the past few years, Eminent Custom Graphics of Barrie, Ont.—also known as InkYourRide.com[2]—has upgraded the graphics on Toronto-based Steam Whistle Brewing’s vintage vehicles. Previously painted with a bright green and white colour palette, the fleet now uses digitally printed and laminated films instead. And the results have proven so successful, Steam Whistle has also commissioned Eminent to wrap other promotional items, including portable coolers and a ping pong table.

The vintage look
Steam Whistle was conceived in 1998 by Greg Taylor, Cam Heaps and Greg Cromwell, who had previously worked together for Upper Canada Brewing, before it was bought and shut down by Sleeman Breweries. After attracting investors to their new business plan, the ‘three fired guys’ set up shop in downtown Toronto’s historic John Street Roundhouse, which was a repair and servicing facility for Canadian Pacific (CP) Rail’s steam locomotives from 1929 to 1988.

In addition to the vintage facility, the brewery put together an eclectic fleet of vintage vehicles, ranging from a 1949 International Stake Truck (nicknamed ‘Lumpy’) to a 1973 Dodge Tradesman (dubbed the ‘Steam Weaver’), both for the practical purpose of delivering the company’s pilsner beer to bars and pubs and for the promotional purpose of appearing at community events.

“We have always been focused on one beer and one message, but we have expanded our fleet over time,” explains Nicole George, the brewery’s creative director, who works with designers, marketers and salespeople and oversees visual branding from small to large formats. “We realized ‘retro’ means different things to different generations, so rather than just be known for one era, we have a range of trucks, cars and delivery vans representing each decade from the ’40s to the ’70s, restored in classic detail but also ‘pimped out’ with hot-rod styling. Each vehicle has its own personality, allowing us to celebrate what is best from each decade, with their traditional style, quality craftsmanship and unique designs.”

To connect all of these disparate vehicles in a clearly branded way, Steam Whistle had them painted green, with blue and white detailing.

“We like to keep them simple and clean, so the beauty of the vintage vehicle gets centre stage,” says George. “They are true workhorses, driven daily by our salespeople, delivering beer, functioning as moving billboards because they attract so much attention and even doubling as trade show booths. A number of them are equipped with working draft beer taps!”

In the summer months, several of the vehicles are stationed in regional markets to serve as physical icons for the brewery, given local customers cannot necessarily visit the roundhouse in Toronto.

“Twice a year, we organize a full parade of all of the vehicles, when they come in and out of winter storage,” says George. “It’s pretty fun to see heads turn when we dominate a lane on Ontario’s Highway 401 or a street in downtown Toronto.”

From painting to printing
As awareness of and demand for Steam Whistle’s pilsner grew across Ontario, the painting of its vehicles—and repainting, following the inevitable dings and scratches—became a drain on time and funds, so the brewery turned to digitally printed and laminated wrap graphics instead.

The first results, unfortunately, were not satisfactory, with banding and grain visible in the graphics. So, the company started to look for another print service provider (PSP).

“We began working with Eminent in 2013,” says George. “We had just purchased a 1970 International Scout and were looking for a new print partner to install its wrap artwork. Mark Dorey and Jay Farren, Eminent’s co-owners, had completed personal projects for one of our sales representatives and for Greg Taylor, one of our co-founders. So, we touched base with them, beginning our partnership.”

Founded in 2006, Eminent had catered to custom markets early on in its development, including Canadian beer brands like Molson and Labatt.

“A rep from Steam Whistle was referred to us,” says Eminent’s Dorey. “We applied graphics to their trailers and that got us our shot. Our first full wrap for them was the International Scout, which still had its original paint job.”

Controlling quality
The success of that wrap led Eminent to work on the broader fleet.

“It can be hard to achieve a solid colour,” says Dorey, referring to Steam Whistle’s earlier, poor-quality graphics. “We created custom profiles through trial and error to really ‘dial in’ the brewery’s brand colours.”

As for materials, Eminent used Avery Dennison’s MPI 1005 Supercast Easy Apply RS film and DOL 1360 gloss overlaminate, which conformed well not only to the vintage vehicles, but also to newer models in the fleet, including a Dodge Charger, a Jeep Wrangler, a Toyota FJ Cruiser and a Mini Cooper. In fact, the performance of those wraps led to requests from the brewery for similar wraps of promotional items, many of which used the same materials.

“We went on to wrap all types of items for them, including about 100 of the portable coolers for contest giveaways, along with the ping pong table,” Dorey says. “We used the Avery Dennison film and overlaminate consistently over the years because of the print quality and ease of installation.”

When it came time to wrap tabletops for restaurants that serve Steam Whistle’s beer, Eminent instead sourced a calendered film and overlaminate from Avery Dennison.

“A table takes a lot of abuse from hot plates, knives and such,” Dorey explains, “so we used a film and laminate that were quite a bit thicker than those for the vehicles.”

The only times Eminent sourced materials from a different manufacturer were when Steam Whistle commissioned outdoor wraps for brick walls and other heavily textured surfaces, which called for 3M Canada’s Envision Print Wrap Film. Such applications have touched the brewery itself, as well as restaurants, bars and out-of-home (OOH) advertising spaces all across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

“When it comes to applications, installations and materials,” says George, “I make certain requests, such as gloss or matte, but generally, I trust all of the suggestions and input they offer, because this is their area of expertise. If we face any ‘hiccups,’ I simply tell them where the issues are and we work together to find a solution.”

Meanwhile, much like how the production of graphics for Labatt and Molson helped prepare Eminent to wrap Steam Whistle’s vehicles, so too did that work in turn lead to a referral for Creemore Springs Brewery, another Ontario beermaker, and landing its fleet graphic contract.

An ongoing process
As mentioned, Eminent’s partnership with Steam Whistle expanded from vintage to modern vehicles, reaching more and more of the brewery’s fleet over time.

“Years later, we’re still getting vehicles in from their sales reps across Canada for rewrapping at a new, better quality,” says Dorey. “While they don’t have the same scale of a Molson or a Labatt, they do have quite a bit of volume.”

Indeed, Steam Whistle’s growing success has also meant larger delivery trucks, which Eminent wraps, too.

“The delivery trucks’ cabs can get really dinged up on the road,” Dorey says. “They fix them and then we wrap them. The most fun, though, are the Jeep Wranglers, because we take off everything that’s bolted on before wrapping. It makes us look like a chop shop!”

With files from Eminent Custom Graphics, Steam Whistle Brewing, Avery Dennison and 3M Canada. For more information, visit www.inkyourride.com[8], www.steamwhistle.ca[9], www.3mcanada.ca[10] and www.averydennison.com[11].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/vehicle-graphics-brewing-wraps-for-steam-whistle/

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