3M Commercial Graphics (St. Paul, MN) announced the winner of its 2015 Wrap to Win competition at the ISA Sign Expo, which took place April 9-11 in Las Vegas. With a cast of celebrity judges, such as veteran NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, All Girls Garage co-host Jessi Combs and seven-time American Motocross Assn. national champion Jeremy McGrath evaluating their work, Daren Merkle, a vehicle-wrap installer from Shadow Graphix (Indianapolis), prevailed in a hard-fought battle.
The competition entailed the contestants showing their vehicle-wrap design and installation skills using 3M™’s Envision™ non-PVC, inkjet-printable wrap films with Envision wrap overlaminates. For the contest, Merkle wrapped a food truck for Jammin’ Joi’s Soft Serve Ice Cream, a Ft. Wayne, IN-based mobile eatery.
A visit to Jammin’ Joi’s Facebook page affirms owner Joi Johnson’s euphoria over the wrap’s victory.
Jill Ayers, president and creative director of NYC-based Design360 and Airspace, and current president of the Society for Experiential Graphic Design, served as one of the judges. About Merkle’s winning project, she said, “I was impressed that this entry’s team used unexpected surfaces for the vehicle’s graphic content. The wheel caps animated the ice-cream swirls as they rotate, and the windows becoming a canvas for the menus created fun and pop. You can’t miss this message!”
All five finalists were provided an all-expense-paid trip to the Sign Expo; the other four included 51 Wraps (Tulsa, OK), Metro Wraps (Miami), PDX Wraps (Sherwood, OR) and Speedpro Imaging (Cincinnati). For his grand prize, Merkle will embark on a tropical journey: he and a companion will enjoy an all-expense-paid trip to Bora Bora.