By Melissa Donovan
Floor graphics are found in a number of environments. Common uses include retail, grocery stores, and trade shows. Additionally, floor graphics act as a décor element in commercial and residential spaces. The application offers possibility when it comes to print service providers (PSPs) working with numerous customers.
Above: Circle Graphics created 300 floor graphics in addition to other applications for Oskar Blues Brewery with 3M film and overlaminate and an EFI grand format printer.
Wealth of Offerings
Circle Graphics, founded in 2000, is one of the largest producers of large format digital printing and a supplier of product construction for home décor. The PSP has five locations, over 800 employees, nearly 107 printers, and more than 370,000 square feet of manufacturing space.
Three divisions grew out of the company’s original location in Boulder, CO. The Out of Home (OOH) Advertising, Consumer Wall Décor, and Signature Visual Solutions (SVS) divisions combined encompass a wealth of service offerings from billboards to canvas wall décor and window graphics. The OOH and Consumer Wall Décor businesses provide continued growth for the company, with personalized wall décor accounting for over three million units in 2017.
SVS is Circle Graphics’ newest venture. The business signage division offers counter top displays to window clings, cardboard stand ups, and vinyl banners. Working with suppliers and manufacturers, the PSP provides high quality and inexpensive signage to their clients or franchisees.
Dominating the Floor
Floor graphics is a small percentage of what Circle Graphics produces, however the application is seen throughout all three of the business divisions. “There are a variety of uses and buyers of floor graphics. Typical industries and applications are transit, station dominations, retail, grocery, convenience stores, and food and beverage,” explains Judy Toran Cousin, CMIO/president, SVS division, Circle Graphics.
The application itself is found in a lot of use cases. Toran Cousin points out how traditionally a floor graphic can tell a brand story, provide wayfinding, or communicate the promotion of a product or television series/movie.
Similar to station dominations, according to Toran Cousin, there is a new trend—bathroom dominations. “From the bottom of showers at a mud race to entire bathroom interiors, advertisers and brands are looking for ways to reach consumers wherever they are standing still for two to three seconds,” she suggests.
In addition, Toran Cousin says floor graphics are now used outside of promotional capabilities. Citing examples like the graphic acting as a faux floor at a trade show or event to wayfinding in an office building, floor graphics are now part of an environment’s décor.
“As consumers expect to be immersed into the brands they use, we see a surge in using floor graphics to help create temporary experiences,” continues Toran Cousin. For example, Circle Graphics recently created a faux boardwalk with floor graphics for an event.
Depth of Field
Part of the reason Circle Graphics is able to offer floor graphics for such a large range of environments is because of its deep material lineup. The company is equipped with the capability to offer innovative substrates. Alumiflexx is a recyclable product that contours to all creases and crevices to provide the appearance of an image painted on the floor. Offering ease of install, it does not require heat to hold its shape.
Committed to bettering the environment, the Alumiflexx product is an excellent representation of the PSP’s mission. In addition to substrates, Circle Graphics also creates its own coatings. A newly developed coating—Eco-Ad—neutralizes NOx gas from vehicles. The coating can be applied to many Circle Graphics substrates, including floor graphics.
In addition to Alumiflexx, Circle Graphics also relies on 3M Commercial Solutions’ floor graphics interior and exterior products. It pairs these films with a clear, matte 3M-approved calendered overlaminate. The overlaminate is heat applied to the film and when combined, the pairing meets 3M’s requirements for skid and scuff resistance, as well indoor and outdoor durability.
Promote Crafty Cans
A recent job included 300 floor graphics for Oskar Blues Brewery. The brewer, a repeat client, is based in Longmont, CO with additional locations in Brevard, NC and Austin, TX. Founded over 20 years ago, the company’s flagship brew Dale’s Pale Ale is the number two top-selling craft can six pack in U.S. supermarkets.
The brewer reached out to Circle Graphics to promote the 15 year anniversary of Dale’s Pale Ale with floor graphics that would be placed in front of display coolers as well as outside certain stores. Before this job request, Oskar Blues Brewery had never pursued a marketing campaign of this size and scope.
Sized at 60×24 inches, all 300 floor graphics were printed on an EFI grand format printer to meet the customer’s tight turnaround time. Oskar Blues Brewery received the order and the final graphics, printed, kitted, and delivered to several locations in a span of 30 days. The job included canvas and banner signage as well.
The floor graphics were sent across the U.S. to three retail locations, one brewery, and to Oskar Blues Brewery’s headquarters for distribution to its distributors. Installs were handled by the associates in store. Some graphics were placed inside and others outside. To address the fact that the graphics could be installed inside or outside and not create too many SKUs, which would increase Oskar Blues Brewery’s costs, Circle Graphics decided to use 3M floor graphics film and overlaminate.
The Dale’s Pale Ale floor graphics were in place for a couple of months. Oskar Blues Brewery was thrilled with the result and continues to work with Circle Graphics on other marketing campaigns.
Tell a Story
Circle Graphics is equipped with the latest technologies to offer its customers floor graphics that help tell a story. Immersing the end user in an environment with graphics from head to toe is one of the most influential ways to reach a customer.
Dec2018, Digital Output
