Friday, August 28, 2009

Scroll Bracket Sign


Today we installed some signs for our client: Little Bean Photography

Pictured here is Elissa, the owner of Little Bean Photography. Along side is her new Sign, a project that we have been fine tuning over the past couple of months.

This was a fun project for us here at Big Idea. With limited store front space for signage, tight city codes to follow, and a busy highway out the front door, we had to dig into our creative bag of big ideas to come up with a sign system that not only fit the technical requirements but capturing the eyes of future customers for Little Bean Photography.

The result (pictured) is our scroll bracket sign system. This heavy duty metal material has a two sided message that is positioned perpendicular to the highway out front, visible from both the east and west bound traffic. Notice how the magenta contrast nicely next to the green on the building, allowing this sign to really pop!

Feel free to stop by and see this sign for yourself. Contact and location info is on the website here.

Monday, August 24, 2009

More creative identity solutions

Pictured here is a stage shot we received from The Whiskey Sournotes during a recent gig. Notice the logo on the bass drum?

You guessed it, drum head graphics are another of our speciality. Our owner has been working closely with the Twin Cities top drum shop - Ellis drum for several years now, producing graphics for professional national acts as well as the local scene and a few marching bands as well. Our drum head graphic capabilities are as simple as a single color text logo, like you see pictured here, or it can be as elaborate as a full color, full coverage head.

Drum head graphics are a great way to "brand the band". Whether it is your school logo or your band name, as long as your drummer is visible, your identity is being shared and hopefully remembered by all.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Minnesota State fair Signs

It's that time of year again - the great Minnesota get together!
Here we are hanging a few signs at the WCCO Radio State Fair booth. Over the years our installers have hung everything from 40' roof top building signs to simple menu board lettering. Here we are hanging a schedule of events sign.
This particular sign is made from a semi-rigid plastic that hold up extremely well for exterior use and has a nice non-glare finish. This plastic also hangs flat and is extremely lightweight.
Notice the size of this sign...it's a biggie. A lot of booth owners opt for the printed banner option in this case. We are not 100% sure why this is but it most like has to do with their vendors limitations or a sales approach. Though banners are a great choice in a lot of large exterior situations, they are not always the best looking once installed. In this instance we took into consideration the installation surface before deciding on the best product for this use. Given the unevenness of the wood fence, and the close proximity to guests. This 4mm thick plastic was the best choice, and it came in under budget. Notice how flat it lays and how there is no pleating or sagging as often seen in poor banner installations.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Creative Business Identity...

is not just for brick and mortar businesses.
Big Idea works with quite a few musicians and performers, helping them to improve upon their visibility both on and off the stage. Pictured here is our good friend Art "Elvis" Kistler. You can find out more about him at: http://www.elvistributeartist.com/.
Elvis performed for a nice crowd today at St. Paul park's Heritage days Festival. Pictured with the King during his performance is a quick last minute sign we created to display during his parade drive down Main Street. We created this sign to help bring more awareness to his performance.
When it comes to business identity, sometimes the little things that we do have the greatest impact.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Wrap it up?

The picture here pretty much spells it out, but for those of you new to vehicle wraps, the graphics you see pictured are produced on a vinyl film. This is actually a white truck!

Wraps have really hit the market strong over the last 5 years as a means to offer a little extra eye catching effect on your vehicles. Now we have all seen wraps around town on buses and trucks and even the big semi trailers, but how about boats... You bet! Pictured here is a truck wrap for a professional walleye angler, Eric Olson. The matching 22' Ranger boat was busy on the water but you can find shots of the boat at: www.getonthewater.com

When wrapping a vehicle there are several things you, the client, should be aware of prior to making your investment If you are shopping around for wraps, first, make sure you are having the graphics installed by an expert. Just like every ting else in life quality craftsmanship is Worth it in the long run. Trust yourself on this. 2nd, ask questions! What kind of material is used? What is the warranty if any? Will you be cutting graphics directly on my vehicle? what is the life expectancy? What If I need to replace a portion of the graphics? What is the back end cost to remove?

Though vehicle wraps are not suited for all businesses or graphic message, they sure do help if you are looking for that added identity edge. you can visit our website or contact us for more info.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Interior Business Signs

This is were Big Idea really has fun, working on interior business identity projects. Pictured here is a great example.

What you are looking at is a 3 dimensional logo that is displayed behind a reception desk at the St. Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau within the Xcel Energy arena.

A combination of materials were used to produce this eye catching effect. The SAINT PAUL portion utilizes an adhesive back vinyl. This is actual applied right to the finished wall surface. The rest of the logo uses a 1/2" plastic that we painted to match the logo specifications. These shapes were then carefully and methodically adhered to the finished wall. Note the interesting natural shadows that are casted with this type of sign.

This type of dimensional wall logo is an affordable way for businesses and organizations to get there brand or business name in front of people. Some key locations that we have installed these types of signs are: reception areas, clinics, conference rooms, elevator lobbies, restaurants, and retail space.


Contact us for more information.