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Archive for Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs

Corn Hole and Canvas Updates

February 2nd, 2012 by Rebecca Walden

Featuring his album covers.

Keeping with the theme of our last two blogs, wanted to share the most recent “custom” corn hole board prints we produced for Jimmy Buffet this week!

Ah, brought back sweet sweet memories from my days at Franklin Bank in Southfield, Michigan.  I had a good friend who had season tickets to the then Pine Knob outdoor theater and every year he gave me his Jimmy Buffet tickets!  So a bunch of us from the bank would get together, grill cheeseburgers in the parking lot, and in general just enjoy the “sights” of the other tailgaters and how they had their vehicles decorated prior to the concert.  Henry Mayers if you’re still out there, thanks again for the tickets!  Ah but I digress . . ..

"Nothing remains quite the same . . . "

On to unique canvas applications!  I promised to share with you this recent canvas “memento” print that was given to participants in the 150th Anniversary Bacardi Marathon just run on January 29 in Miami.  Nellie Knowles and Takashi Nakamura of Bacardi here in Jacksonville (http://www.bacardilimited.com/) contacted us looking for something classier than just a vinyl poster so we showed them our canvas options and they had these produced for the runners. 

Bacardi Poster on Canvas Commemorating their 150th Anniversary Marathon

Rum?  Jimmy Buffet?  Perhaps this blog wasn’t about two disparate projects after all!

Categories : Canvas Posters, Canvas Signs, Creative Marketing Use of Signs, Digitally Printed Signs, FCS Blog, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs
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CUSTOMIZE YOUR CORN HOLE BOARDS AND BEER PONG TABLES

January 13th, 2012 by Rebecca Walden
Taylor Swift Custom Corn Hole Board

The other of Taylor Swift's Custom Corn Hole Board Prints

If we can do it for Taylor Swift and Bob Seger, we can do it for you!

That’s right, why not customize your Corn Hole Boards and Beer Pong Table with your own digitally printed images?

We printed a set of Corn Hole Table prints for Taylor Swift and Bob Seger to be presented as a gift when they performed here in Jacksonville.

So I got to thinking:  How cool would this be as a personalized “gift” idea if folks asked us to create a customized, digitally printed and laminated print for their own Corn Hole Boards or Beer Pong Tables?

If you’re like me, you LOVE it when someone takes the time to create a unique, specific only on to YOU, gift.  You could decorate your boards and tables with a person’s hobby, hi resolution photos that commemorate a special event like a wedding or family reunion, really, as long as the image is not copy written of course, you would be limited only by your imagination.

"Just take those old records off the shelf . . ."

 

If you can envision it and provide us with the images, or want us to design it for you once we’ve discussed what you want to see, we can create a customized set of Corn Hole Boards or a Beer Pong Table that will be one of a kind for you to regale your friends or give as a gift!

 

 

Corn Hole Boards of the Rich and Famous! We can customize a set for YOU!

Just another creative use of a sign!  Print it and stick it!  Call us at 904-398-3993 if we can help you with this.

 

Categories : Creatiive Use of Cut Vinyl, Creative Marketing Use of Signs, FCS Blog, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs, Signs, Signs as Gifts
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Digital Prints on Canvas

December 29th, 2011 by Rebecca Walden

Canvas . . . . it’s not just for oil paints or acrylics anymore!

We have printable canvas that is beautifully compatible with our wide format Roland CMYK printer. If you love the look of canvas but cannot quite afford an oil or acrylic version of your art, you may be quite pleased with this alternative.

Our Monet Canvas is a heavyweight 10 oz coated canvas with a prominent tooth that is ideal for giclee art reproductions. It is also used for eye-catching POP signage, museum displays, interior decorating, and store signage. This strong, yet flexible, canvas features a uniform matte texture and its specialized coating allows for vibrant, photo-realistic printing and a wide color gamut. Processed with a DigiCoat, these textiles have a coating which assures a sharp, crisp print quality while maintaining the texture and feel of the original fabric.

Art reproduced on Monet Canvas and Tru Color Historic Canvas.

 

We also have a product named Tru Color Historic Canvas which achieves a warmer, more “worn” look due to its more beige hue.  See the above art printed on both.

Our thanks to Heather Anne Sams, MA, MBA, President and “Creative Inspiration Officer” at HAS Art Solutions for providing us with the above art for demonstration purposes.

In early January, we are producing 18″ x 24″ posters for a marathon keepsake from a very well known Jacksonville company on the Monet Canvas.  Once they’ve been delivered, we’ll share with you how those turned out as well.  The company decided they very much preferred the “look” and texture of their print on the canvas versus a more traditional keepsake poster on laminated vinyl. 

“Different strokes for different folks!”  Talk to First Coast Signs when you’re looking for a creative alternative to your sign/poster/wide-format digital print projects.

Categories : Creative Marketing Use of Signs, Digitally Printed Signs, FCS Blog, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs, Signs
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Jazzy Window Door, Window and Wall Vinyl for Trendy New Brew Bar

December 20th, 2011 by Rebecca Walden

We were delighted here at First Coast Signs when our friends at Content Design Group invited us to put some finishing touches on Bold Bean Coffee Roasters new location in historic Riverside/Avondale.  Located in a 1920′s building on Stockton, we were thrilled to be part of the “fun” and help get the brew bar ready for its opening.

Content Design Group and their clients, Jay and Zack Burnett, owners of Bold Bean, chose Avery Specialty Films 100 Etchmark, an etched glass film for their windows and doors.  The product provides the look of real etched glass at a fraction of the cost by eliminating the need for sandblasting.  We love working with this product since it produces such a classy, artistic look that is subtle but still makes a statement.

Avery Etchmark Creates Understated Branding

 

For the twelve-foot high wall graphic inside the brew bar, we were able to use our standard vinyl, Oracal 3641.  This versatile product is great for interior or exterior signage, decals, nameplates, die-cut letters and more.  Applying an overlaminate to the finished print added body and protection for ease of handling and installing.   

Digitally printed and laminated vinyl makes it SO easy to create distinctive wall coverings for any interior.

Thanks to Content Design Group and Bold Bean again for the opportunity to work on this project.  Watch for two additional window graphic projects that we hope will come to fruition in January!

 

 

Categories : Corporate Identity, Creatiive Use of Cut Vinyl, Creative Marketing Use of Signs, Digitally Printed Signs, FCS Blog, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs, Signs
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Sweet Suite Graphics II

November 17th, 2011 by Rebecca Walden
Attractive Combination Using Frosted Vinyl with Black Cut Vinyl Overlay
Kelli Mazza, Administrative Services Manager for Fortegra Financial, enlisted First Coast Signs’ assistance to add subtle, beautiful touches to their new location.  Using just vinyl, we achieved a dignified, elegant look that displayed the whole family of companies in black metallic vinyl over the frosted glass vinyl.  We covered these panes the whole length of their boardroom and also used the same approach for panes in their lobby. 
 
 
 
Impressive Statement
Three Dimensional Look Achieved Effectively

 Alan Worley, President of the popular and effective Money Pages organization, wanted to make a statement for his new suite at Veteran’s Memorial Arena.  He brought the project to First Coast Signs and we presented him our concept to work with a piece of black max metal, 4′h x 8′w, overlaid with a second piece of brushed silver max metal that had his text custom routed, allowing the black to show through.  To provide added dimension, we mounted to his wall using over-sized stand-offs so that the black sheet is “off the wall” and there is also a separation between the brushed silver sheet and the black background sheet.  Fun project that is still receiving lots of compliments!

Whatever our budget, whatever your “style”, whatever your corporate statement needs to be, First Coast Signs would love to work with you to ensure your corporate brand is evident to your employees, clients, vendors and stakeholders!

 

 

 

 

Categories : Articles about Us, Corporate Identity, Creative Marketing Use of Signs, FCS Blog, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs, Reception Area Branding/Lobby Logos, Signs
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Sweet Suite Graphics I

November 7th, 2011 by Rebecca Walden
 
Is it costly etched glass or vinyl?

 

We’ve been privileged to work with several local companies that wanted to put their walls and interior windows “to work” for them by reinforcing corporate values and identity.  Using cut vinyl, which comes in solid colors and also a marvelous assortment of products that achieve  an “etched glass” effect for a fraction of the cost of the “real thing”, our clients now keep their corporate mantras and branding attractively displayed for both employees and visitors. 

For instance, the 5′ apple on US Preventive’s lobby doors was created using etched glass “looking” vinyl.  We cut their healthy logo out of the vinyl using our Graphtec plotter and applied it to the doors.  The result was beautiful and acheived a stately look for far less than real etched glass would have cost.  Thank you Kathy Fleming for allowing us to help you with your internal branding project.

 

We used a combination of materials to create MarkOne’s sensational lobby branding.

When Bruce and Jason Newmark contacted us regarding branding their reception area at their new location for MarkOne Holdings, they specifically said they didn’t just want “a sticker stuck to a piece of acrylic”.  They were definitely looking for something more three dimensional and dramatic. 

Their logos for the parent company and three subsidiaries were gorgeous.  However, there were color gradients that could only be achieved using a digital print.  Our solution was to have the graphics and letters custom cut using 1/2″ styrene with a nice flat face surface.  Then we printed their letters and graphics to capture the color gradients and applied the prints to the faces of the letters.  Next we mounted the graphics and letters to rectangular pieces of acrylic and mounted the 4 acrylic signs to the wall using stand-offs.  Everyone was quite pleased with the outcome.

This colorful display greets clients and vendors as they step off the elevator at MarkOne.

 

We have several other lobby branding projects we want to share with you to potentially spark an idea of something you’d like in your reception area.  Watch for more to follow and we would love to work with you on a creative piece that will be unique to your business or practice.  Call us at 904-398-3993 and let us know what you think!

 

Categories : Corporate Identity, Creative Marketing Use of Signs, FCS Blog, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs, Reception Area Branding/Lobby Logos, Signs
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Toot Your Horn with Site Signs!

December 12th, 2010 by Rebecca Walden

Advertise that you're lending and/or building!

If you’re a CDC or Bank providing financing for a commercial real estate project, don’t miss the opportunity to let the world know you’re making much needed capital available with a site sign.

Recently I got to work again with my good friend Kristen Tackett, Vice President at Florida First Capital Finance Corporation. When I was an SBA lender, Kristen and I worked on a cash out refi and new construction loan project involving an existing hotel and a new hotel using the SBA’s 504 loan program.

Kristen is a highly experienced 504 loan professional and her CDC has an awesome educational website at http://www.ffcfc.com/. Virtually anything you need to know about how this program works is answered at their site.

For instance, currently (December 2010), the 20 year effective rate is 5.56% and the 10 year effective rate is a record low at 3.52%. Knowing that at least 50% of your commercial project is locked in at an attractive fixed rate is a huge incentive for commercial borrowers.

So when Kristen wanted to advertise that her firm was the 504 lender for a brand new, under construction car wash at Beach and Hodges, First Coast Signs was flattered to be able to produce her 4′ x 8′ foot site sign to let the world know.

Kristen’s sign was produced using very economical 10 M coroplast which we mounted to sturdy in ground posts.

Let the world know you’re lending and/or building!

So if First Coast Signs may be assistance to your CDC, Bank, or Construction Company to explore your options for a site sign to get you noticed and keep your phone ringing, just give us a call!

904-398-3993
Best regards,
Rebecca Walden, President
Categories : Construction Site Signs for Lenders and Builders, FCS Blog, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs
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Gotta Have a Little Fun Sometimes

October 16th, 2010 by Rebecca Walden

Looking for a cute, slightly different, creative and inexpensive “marketing idea”?

Water bottle labels. Oh not just labels with your name and logo! C’mon, have some fun!

This “little sign” is an opportunity to illustrate your expertise, creativity and spirit for pennies a bottle.  And it uses digitally printed vinyl, which is a specialty at First Coast Signs.

Great for give aways at trade shows, group events you sponsor or at a minimum, to have around your office when folks visit.  We used this idea for the first time at CREW Jacksonville’s blow out tour in September of Cecil Field.

And if your particular profession isn’t one that typically lends itself toward “fun” and has to stay on the “straight and narrow”, you can still use this little strip of vinyl to promote your key employees, share corporate accomplishments, specialties, key accounts (with permission), etc.

I’d like to share what we did at First Coast Signs, borrowed generously from our friend John Bogensberger of Spokane, WA, Signs for Success:


Having some fun with Zephyrhills

The type is probably too small for you to read from here, but we added the caption:  “Tastes Amazingly like Zephyrhills” beneath our specially “bottled” spring water . . . because that’s what it was!  In addition to our contact info, we listed the ingredients as “Creativity, resourcefulness, competitive pricing and integrity.  First Coast Signs 100% Natural Spring Water is bottled for fun and health, and enhanced with a sense of humor.”

And, because Zephyrhills has indeed incorporated an “eco-friendly” cap, the label gave First Coast Signs the opportunity to tout our eco-friendly, green, sign materials such as Ultra Flex bio degradable banner material and Precision Board for sandblasted and routed signs.

So knock yourself out.  Have some fun.  Throw a little wild abandon into your marketing promo items!  Use a water bottle label to illustrate your creativity and ingenuity.   And call First Coast Signs at 904-398-3993 if you’d like some input to help advertise your company, your brand, with a little digitally printed sign on a water bottle . . . or a THOUSAND water bottles, for your next event!

Categories : Creative Marketing Use of Signs, Digitally Printed Signs, FCS Blog, Green Signs, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas Using Signs
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