On the day that the new Honda Civic is launched, Scotchcal Graphic Film IJ170 from 3M used in dramatic make-over transforming Honda Civic Type R track cars
Ecosse Signs, a specialist in vehicle livery based in Lanarkshire, has applied Scotchcal Graphic Film with Comply IJ170Cv3 from 3M, the science-based technology company, to five track cars used in the Kaiser Chiefs’ video, Hole in my Soul. The expert design was digitally printed on the 3M Film purchased from Spandex to match the artwork from the band’s single and latest album, Stay Together, and the video was filmed at Knockhill racing circuit in Scotland. Ecosse Signs was awarded the runner-up prize for this project in the 3M and Spandex ‘Cool Cars’ competition to find innovative and creative wrapping designs.
Ecosse Signs received A4 sized samples of the artwork, which their designers translated to vinyl wraps for the five cars used in the music video. Everyone was excited about the graphics. “The designs were approved quickly, and then we had to move fast,” said Tom Thomson of Ecosse Signs. “We had less than five days for the cars to be delivered, wrapped, and returned to Knockhill for filming on the following Sunday night. We got a head start by printing as many kits as we could before the cars arrived. We pushed ourselves hard, and actually finished the last car on the Friday evening. That’s a super-fast turnaround to wrap five cars, which helped take some pressure off the band’s schedule.”
Hard work by the Ecosse Signs team and the supreme quality of the Scotchcal Graphic Film with Comply IJ170Cv3 from 3M chosen to meet the challenge, were the key to this projects success. “The film is very easy to handle and apply. Our applicators appreciate its ease of use, and can feel the difference between 3M and other films immediately,” comments Tom Thomson.
Scotchcal Graphic Film with Comply IJ170Cv3 from 3M has already been used by Ecosse Signs on several successful projects for its ease of use, and ability to enable a fast and bubble free application. For the Kaiser Chiefs project, the team used the company’s in-house HP Latex printer – a recent and important investment – to print the complex graphics tying in the video with the band’s artwork. Latex printing eliminates the curing time associated with conventional solvent-based inks, which can require up to 48 hours degassing time before being over-laminated prior to application. “Time was against us, and being able to laminate and apply the films directly after printing was critical to meeting our deadline,” said Tom Thomson.
After filming was completed at the circuit, the decision was taken to leave the graphics on the cars for longer as part of the publicity for the single. As the five Civic Type Rs are resident at the circuit, Knockhill could offer visitors the chance to drive the pop-stars’ cars on track, and the customised fleet has been displayed at several car events in Scotland and England.
