MMT, a visual communications company specializing in billboard printing, banners and building wraps, and stadium and arena graphics, helped flame a Honda Civic with SloanLEDs.
Honda wanted to spotlight the natural-gas aspect of their campaign. Agency Rubin Postaer & Associates initially sought suggestions to make the I’s in the Civic look like flames to add make their board come to life at night on the 405 Freeway in Carson, CA, near Los Angeles, to promote the 100% natural-gas Honda vehicle.
To mimic natural-gas flames, the main billboard was printed using MMT’s drum technology, which utilizes custom acrylic paints. As for the flames, with the help from CBS Outdoor in Los Angeles on zoning and engineering possibilities and RPA, a MMT Southern California print partner, MMT engineered a concept that utilized LED-lighting technology and the custom creation of specially designed and shaped cabinets that, when illuminated, would look like natural-gas flames at night.
First, MMT created a scaled-down prototype of the 8-ft. flames. The SloanLED custom created a 2.5-ft.-tall "cabinet," in which contour-cut channeled characters were shaped to follow the flames’ contours.; the LEDs were powered by SloanLEDs’ 60W power drivers. MMT imaged the flames on a 3M J360-20 stock with an 8519 overlaminate, then mounted it to a rigid clear surface and iprinted with an Inca printer. The image was printed on a miniature test can for the client to approve.
After having received client approval, MMT found out the due date was moved up by a week. The can manufacturer completed the two flames in an expedited timeframe.
Natural gas, which emits fewer harmful chemicals into the atmosphere than other fossil fuels, can help to mitigate some environmental issues.