Mini’s design, branding and signage
by Marc Levy, Signs360
When creating spaces for car dealerships to present the correct atmosphere in which to promote and sell cars, a sign manufacturer needs to have an excellent understanding of both the intended consumer and the cars.
One day, as I popped out of the office for a breath of fresh air and a change of scenery, I happened to land up at the local Mini dealer. Nearby the Mini dealership were other famous brands such as Rolls Royce, Bentley and Mercedes Benz, all sold within this vicinity. The Ducati Motorbike showroom in the area brought me back to my youth when I marveled at the chrome handlebars and two gauges! This mean piece of machinery branded with the Ducati icon is a pleasure to see from the perspective of the branding world.
As I approached the dealership from the parking lot, I noticed fabricated Mini letters individually mounted on to the facia with white light glowing through it, creating a very simple yet effective sign. The window graphic sign on one of the showroom windows had a vinyl graphic applied to about 30% of the window. This graphic incorporated some visual images of music, people and art, which seemed surprising for a Mini showroom.
Upon entrance to the showroom, one could notice the lowered ceiling incorporating fluorescent sign tubing in different colours. This floating ceiling was attached to the main ceiling with stainless steel chains. The magnificent piece of machinery known as the “Mini Cooper”, was parked under this illuminated lowered ceiling.
The floor was raised with special rubber flooring in two different styles, creating a mix of textures. Sparkles from the rubber floors gave a pleasant ambience to the surroundings. As I looked to my right I noticed a huge wall about 15 metres by 3 metres, which had a graphic of an international city with high rise buildings, water scenery and modern architecture. The scene was shot in the early evening so that the lights sparkled and the city looked alive.
On the opposite wall was a large graphic, on special fabric and digitally printed, of a Mini Car in Post Office red, with a beautiful girl using the seats as a trampoline. There were also mesh fabricated flags descending from the ceiling. These three flags were digitally printed with the various Mini products. Above the Sales Manager’s desk was an illuminated light box which was very unusual.
On the walls next to the salesmen was a huge lightbox, fabricated in neon, incorporated into a Perspex casing about a metre high, with the name “Mini” as the signage. Along other edges of the roof, and also hanging low, Mini has made use of green neon sign straights, which created a halo effect in those areas. I must say, the whole concept was very well thought out and the ambience in the Mini showroom showed off these beautiful cars in this magnificent space.
Opposite the Mini showroom was The Rolls Royce one, which also stood out impressively as the name ‘Rolls Royce’ was fabricated in stainless steel, creating a chrome shine look. Inside the Rolls Royce showroom, four mesh-type banners, mounted with poles attached to the ceiling, dropped down toward the floor. Digitally printed graphics of various parts of the Rolls Royce were promoted on these banners.
Attached to the main walls were digitally printed, well photographed pictures of the famous Rolls Royce. Surrounding these pictures was a frame manufactured from stainless steel, which had a very high tech look. The contrast of the colour graphic on the printed fabric, encased in a stainless steel frame, created a lovely piece of art. And the furniture, which was manufactured by Rolls Royce with magnificent wood finishes and soft leather, felt very comfortable.
Three other product shots of Rolls Royce in different environments were printed on to canvas and mounted next to each other on one of the walls. It just proves how important banners are when it comes to display and how top brands utilise mesh, see-through, digitally printed banners to create ambience. Digitally printed canvas block mounting also makes a beautiful impression and finish to the presentation when used to promote or brand products. In addition, Marine grade stainless steel signage has come a long way and is used to portray many prestige products in the signage world.
Should you require any signage related to dealerships or car showrooms, or help in layout or design, please do not hesitate to contact Signs360.
