Wrap Happy!

Nashua NH - Chunky Cinema Vehicle Wrap

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:42:00 +0000

Contact Cranky Creative Group to get a custom illustrated design for your company - 877.311.7446.

NASHUA, NH – The Cranky Team went at it again! We recently concocted a design, from scratch, for Chunky’s Cinema Pub, a theater located throughout New Hampshire and Haverhill, MA. The creativity is outpouring!

Mike Mannetta of Chunky’s Cinema Pub contacted Cranky Creative after a year of searching for a company that could create what he was imagining. When we talked with Cranky Creative and learned about their custom illustration services, he knew we had what it takes to create what he was dreaming of. The wrap features many movie favorites, and since it runs on veggie oil the design incorporates the environmentally friendly message! The bio-fuel angle was very important to our client and we incorporated the concept with french fries flying into the tank from the table! We incorporated the driver and the passenger into the design as well. Featured on one side of the vehicle is a pirate scene, so when the passenger enters the truck they play an active role in the design of the wrap - out of this world!

Mike Mannetta, of Chunky’s had a few words to say about his vehicle wrap:

How was it working with Cranky Creative Group? The Chunky’s truck was purchased almost 12 months ago. Within those 12 months I worked with a hand full of design companies and their design samples never matched the vision we had for the truck. When I spoke with Cranky, it took 2 minutes to realize I was dealing with a company with experience and creative talent.

How has your vehicle improved your company’s brand? The truck will be seen at many community events such as holiday parades where we will have Chunky’s staff walking with the truck passing out coupons to the crowd. If you make the right contacts, these events usually don’t cost any $$ to attend. I am reaching customers that I would typically spend a lot of money to target – and I am doing it more creatively and effectively. I am not only reinforcing the Chunky’s brand, I am building the brand and making new customers.

I recommend converting your vehicle to run on vegetable oil and incorporating this into the design. It’s good for the environment and it’s another way to market your company. The truck is getting some free publicity in newspapers because of this.

There aren't many vehicles driving around the Boston and NH area that can match this creativity.

Pictures of the vehicle wrap are featured below:

Limited Time Vehicle Wrap & Window Graphics Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:54:00 +0000

Looking for new ways to advertise? Or just looking for ways to entice future customers and clients with eye-catching advertising methods? Then this is a perfect opportunity for you!

The Cranky Team is offering a sale on vehicle wraps and windows graphics from now till November 15^th

$300 off a full vehicle wrap, $150 off a partial wrap $150 off window graphics over 150 sqft of coverage

Allow thousands of viewers to see your graphics. It's a sure way to increase sales!

Offer expires 11/15/08

Call Cranky at 919-596-5588 to get started on enhancing your brand throughout your community!

Aruba Poker Classic Event Wraps - October 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:30:00 +0000

The Cranky Crew just came back from installing these beautiful wraps in Aruba! We branded the Radisson Resort in Palm Beach Aruba for the 2008 Aruba Poker Championships put on by Ultimate Bet.

“Cranky Creative did such a great job this year at the 2008 Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic we are bringing them back next year and to the World Series of Poker - they turned the Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic into a visual masterpiece!” - Steve Spindler, Ultimate Bet

There were seven elevator wraps, floor graphics on the concrete around the pool, column wraps, entryway graphics, and window graphics. We even branded the pool bar with Ultimate Bet's logo! Check it out:

Cranky can't wait to Brand the World Series of Poker and go back to Aruba next year!

Alternative Advertising for the USS Battleship Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:47:00 +0000

Wilmington, NC - Cranky Creative Group was contracted by Pepsi Bottling Ventures of Raleigh to do a wrap project at the USS Battleship Museum in Wilmington, NC. For this project we combined medias and created a cross-over wall/floor mural so the tourists would believe they were walking on spilled Pepsi from the exploding bottle on the wall above :-) Check it out!

For this project we combined medias and created a cross-over wall/floor mural so the tourists would believe they were walking on spilled Pepsi from the exploding bottle on the wall above :-) Check it out!

You can read an article on how we did it at WRAPS MAGAZINE's website - where I have my national column bu monthly.

Raleigh, NC - 93.9 KISS FM Vehicle Wraps

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:31:00 +0000

Check out Cranky Creative Group for more information on getting your vehicle wrapped!

Raleigh, NC - Cranky Creative Group partnered with 93.9 Kiss FM to create one of the HOTTEST vehicle wraps in the triangle. We worked with them to create the perfect design that fit their station. We don't just wrap vehicles, the client-focused process focuses on the client's marketing strategy and integrates the wrap design into their marketing goals.

Our process:

Step one: Client consultation - in this consultation we understand who the client is, what their goals are and what their current advertising tactics are (internet, direct mail, etc).

Step two: Creative brief - then comes the creative angle to the wrap. We provide the client with our creative brief and can assist them in completing it based on their goals. This clarifies for our designers, what the purpose of the wrap is, what design style they prefer, what elements to include, and what the desired emotional response is from their targeted audience that views it.

Step three: Design approval - the client is provided with three design concepts showing the sides of the vehicle only. Two tweeks are included in our basic design package. Once the client chooses their favorite, we render the complete vehicle, which looks like this:

Step four: Installation is scheduled - we have professionally certified installers around the country and can install in any of the 50 states. We are the only MASTER certified installation group in NC and SC. Please do not entrust your vehicle wrap to a company that does not have certified installation professionals. And make sure they offer a warranty and use the highest quality materials!

Step five: The wrap is finished and business starts rolling in!

One of our clients, who owns a popular gym, saw a 50% increase in sales call volume within the first 30 days of having his wrap on his vehicle. This is by far the most cost effective and quick way to get your brand known locally.

Check out Cranky Creative Group for more information on getting your vehicle wrapped!

And for an article on the effectiveness of wrapping your vehicle, check out this article in Wide Format Imaging Magazine.

Lenovo Beijing Olympic Elevator Wraps

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:16:00 +0000

RTP, NC - Lenovo contracted with Cranky Creative Group to produce 8 more elevator wraps at their headquarters in RTP.

"The elevators are really impressive and unique. We wanted to get everyone excited about our major sponsorship in Bejing and this really was the way to go. I always hear comments on how cool they are." - Kara Weems, Lenovo

Cranky Creative Group is an alternative advertising company that serves the international market for elevator wraps and other ambient media.

These Elevators were featured in Wide Format Imaging Magazine - check it out!

To read an article on the effectiveness of elevator wraps check out Wide Format Imaging Magazine

Social Responsibility of Marketers

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:09:00 +0000

Cranky Creative Group and all marketers have a social responsibility to publicize good ideas that would otherwise go unnoticed. We are the bridge between the specialized work that has the potential to help humanity, and the general population that fund this specialized work economically. Specialized discoveries in isolation are worthless without the marketers assistance of adding emotional human value to cold, scientific fact. Showing people that they truly need what has been discovered. We are the bridge that builds vocabulary between the cutting edge geniuses and the everyday person. We have a big responsibility to empower ideas for the good of humanity.

What are your thoughts? Email me: bdenison@crankycreative.com

Skateboard Wraps for SeeSaw Studios

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:36:00 +0000

Durham, NC - The Cranky Team and SeeSaw Studio were recently involved in a skateboard design workshop in downtown Durham. The summer workshop ran for a week and attendees consisted of 12 designers ranging from 12-18 years old.

Cranky donated materials, time, and some cash to the workshop. Mr. Cranky, Keoni Denison, gave a PowerPoint presentation on each step in the printing process. Each attendee prepped, designed, and installed their board. Our lead designer, Thien Lu, gave a wrap install class on how to effectively wrap a skateboard.

Founded in 1998, SeeSaw provides various workshops and apprenticeships for youth in the areas of Design, Entrepreneurship, Art, and Life Skills. They primarily work to assist adolescents from low-income families find the career guidance and training required to be successful in their desired area of focus. SeeSaw promots the 4 C's: Confidence, Collaboration, Creativity, and Community.

The Cranky Team had a wonderful time working with the kids and leaders of SeeSaw Studio. There is already talk of a couple of the board designs being produced on a larger scale and sold through local businesses to help support and grow the studio's efforts.

Tropical Porta Potty Graphic Wraps

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:37:00 +0000

Durham, NC - Cranky Creative Group partnered up with Habitat of Humanity of Durham to wrap their porta johns in their "Builders Oasis" theme for the 2008 Builders Blitz Event! Roxanne Hall of Habitat of Durham stated, "Everybody was raving about the johns and loved them! It really is an innovative way to disguise portable toilets and make them blend into an event."

Cranky Creative Group is a wrap advertising agency that transforms 3D objects into advertising spaces. "We are happy to assist Habitat at their event with signage and the portable toilet wrap." expressed Barbra Denison, CEO of Cranky Creative in regards to the project.

So builders, come and relax in the oasis porta potty! How cool is that?

EYE POPPING VEHICLE WRAPS!

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Thu, 29 May 2008 00:04:00 +0000

Call Cranky Creative Group for your vehicle wrap - 919.596.5588 x 114.

People always ask me "why should I choose a vehicle wrap over other types of advertising?". Here is an entry that will hopefully answer those questions.

Want 30,000 to 70,000 people to see your brand everyday?

Why choose vehicle advertising?

The most traditional yet most effective forms of wrap advertising, vehicle wraps are a CCG specialty. Vehicle wraps are a creative, fun and exciting way to advertise to a captive audience on the road! These eye-catching, moving displays are great for targeting specific events and a general market audience with high ROI results for your marketing budget. Vehicle wraps are the most affordable and effective forms of outdoor advertising and a guaranteed way to be sure to be seen and remembered in the marketplace.

Vehicle advertising delivers more impressions per dollar than any other mass communication medium available.

- The average commute takes 28 minutes, one way. The heaviest commuters spend over an hour a day getting to and from work

- Individual vehicle advertising generates between 30,000 – 70,000 daily vehicular impressions in major metropolitan areas

- 98% said vehicle graphics created a positive image for the company

- 96% said vehicle graphics had more impact than billboards

- Vehicle advertising delivers more impressions per dollar than any other mass communication medium

* Statistics compiled from the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA), 2003

Why use CCG for your Vehicle Wrap?

- We the ONLY PDAA Master certified agency in the Carolinas

- Industry leaders in wrap advertising that have been recently featured in such prestigious magazines as WRAPS, Wide Format Imaging, and The Big Picture

- We warranty all of our wrap products

- We use only the best material on the market to ensure you get the highest quality wrap to showcase your company

- We offer specialized design services specifically tailored to 3D wrap advertising

- We are a team of marketing professionals skilled in all aspects of advertising design

- We handle local and nationally based campaigns, simply and hassle-free.

For more information, please see this article in Wide Format Imaging Magazine.

Call today to start maximizing your marketing ROI!

877.311.7446, or 919.358.0620

www.CrankyCreative.com

Lenovo Elevator Wrap Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:44:00 +0000

RTP, NC - Lenovo contracted with us to do an internal elevator wrap campaign of 6 elevators for the release of their ThinkPad x300 and the Green is the New Black campaign.

"I knew they were going to be great, but they were even more impressive once they were up and I was standing next to them!" - Jon Heim, Lenovo

The elevators really got their employees talking, see this blog that popped up just a few days after the elevator wraps were installed - http://lenovoblogs.com/connections/?p=24.

Lenovo was quite pleased with the results and plans to use elevator wraps, and other wraps in the future as an interesting way to educate and excite their employees about their creative culture and continual product R&D.

Please contact us, Cranky Creative Group, if you are interested in an Elevator Wrap Campaign.

Targeting Consumer Environments one of 2008's Hottest Marketing Trends...

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:34:00 +0000

A friend forwarded me this article, and I thought you all might find it very useful when planning your strategy for 2008...

The Hottest Marketing Trends for 2008

Learn about the hottest new marketing trends plus the best ways to increase sales in 2008.

By Kim T. Gordon | December 20, 2007

Marketers nationwide are setting their plans in motion for 2008. Big-name brands will embrace new technologies and adjust their budgets in some surprising ways. And as an entrepreneur, you can use some of these tactics to reach your own audience in the coming year.

In 2008, you can expect major marketing trends to include:

A shift from traditional to "alternative" media
Advertising in newspapers and magazines, and on radio and TV will continue to be marketing staples, but spending in new media will show the biggest growth as advertisers move money into online, mobile and alternative out-of-home advertising.

Many marketers are finding alternative media the best way to reach audiences effectively and to yield a measurable ROI. A communications industry forecast published by Veronis Suhler Stevenson predicts alternative advertising spending will increase more than 23 percent from 2006 to 2011, while traditional advertising will have a compound annual growth rate of just over 1 percent.

Taking Advantage of the Trends
In 2008, the major marketers who set the trends will help consumers adopt new media consumption methods. And they'll pave the way for small business owners to follow suit without the risk or heavy financial outlay.

Here are four ways to increase sales and your advertising ROI by capitalizing on the hottest trends for 2008.

1. Engage the customer. The move toward alternative advertising versus some of the more traditional methods coincides with the emergence of technologies that enable a one-on-one dialogue with customers. For example, follow the trend of social media by posting your products on sites that encourage customer or peer reviews. Social media add an element of impartiality and are increasingly looked to as reliable sources of information.

2. Integrate your off-line and online campaigns. Look for ways to use off-line media to drive traffic to a website with specialized landing pages that tell a deeper story. Use print and TV ads to start the customer education process and direct potential buyers online to learn more and take the next steps in the purchase process. And direct an e-mail campaign to your current customer database to offset the cost of direct mail. Simply alternate e-mail and postal mail for a cost-effective one-two punch.

3. Move some off-line dollars online. Online advertising now offers a strong alternative to some traditional media, such as print yellow pages. Consider moving some of your traditional directory advertising dollars into online directories and search engines. The vast majority of Americans research their products online before making purchases, so a paid search campaign is an ideal way to make sure you turn up at the top of search results.

4. Follow your customer. Alternative out-of-home advertising opportunities let you place your message wherever your customers go. You can put your name and company logo on the umbrellas used by urban street vendors, or name hiking trails in wilderness areas. The key to using these new opportunities effectively is to place your message where it will appear in the proper context and reach your potential customers when they are in the right frame of mind.

The new year comes full of high-return marketing opportunities. By closely watching the hottest trends, you can make smart choices that let you step ahead of your slower-moving competitors.

Kim T. Gordon is the "Marketing" coach at Entrepreneur.com and a multifaceted marketing expert, speaker, author and media spokesperson. Over the past 26 years, she's helped millions of small-business owners increase their success through her company,National Marketing Federation Inc. Her latest book ,Maximum Marketing, Minimum Dollars, is now available.

Cranky Cares: Suicide Prevention Wrap

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:46:00 +0000

About a year ago a wonderful lady approached us about a project involving wrapping her truck in graphics advertising the National Suicide Prevention Hot line. She had been personally touched by this cause when her brother committed suicide a few years ago. Knowing how many people this wrap could potentially save (people could anonymously call in on the road), Cranky teamed up with MacTac, a material manufacturer to donate the material, installation, and design of this wrap to Dani as a dedication to her brother and the cause. The incredible design was created by one of the Cranky designers, Thien Lu - thank you Thien! Read the letter below Dani wrote to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline outlining her story. We just completed the project on May 15, 2008. Thank you Dani for giving us this opportunity to help you and the many others who need this service.

Hello,

My name is Dani, and I am writing to request your involvement with a community-service project I am working on. Please excuse me for being so forward, but I would like to just go ahead and jump right into it, so as to not waste your time.

My brother, Jesse, killed himself, two years ago. I gave myself permission to pretty much do nothing for the past two years, in order to grieve. I have done that, and it is now time for me to involve myself with something productive and positive. During the past two years, I have been thinking about what I could possibly do for others in the hopes of preventing other family members from the experience I have had to endure and, better yet, could I possibly keep even one other person from committing suicide.

According to national statistics, someone commits suicide every 8 seconds, yet suicide is the most taboo subject of all the mental health issues which plague our society. I don’t believe suicide should be a taboo subject, so in order to encourage people to talk about suicide and, possibly save lives, here’s what I’ve come up with to address that belief - “wrap” my truck with information about suicide and, most importantly, put the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline crisis hotline number on my truck so that anyone who sees my truck, at any time, can have instant access to help. Between my job as a freelance interpreter, along with my travels to campgrounds and hiking trails all over the United States, I drive approximately 200-300 miles, per day, so my truck is exposed to thousands of people, each day. I want to encourage people to talk about suicide, if they need to, so if I wrap my truck with the logo and crisis hotline number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, think of the potential I would have to be of service to anyone out there in the public who may be struggling, and just seeing the information on my truck could possibly be the exact information they need in order to get help. I’m not a psychologist or a psychiatrist, so I certainly can’t help anyone on that level - but, I can drive a truck! Essentially, my truck would become a moving billboard exposing the crisis hotline number to thousands of people, each day, along with offering exposure to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

I have already secured the Companies needed in order to make this project happen. First, I have a commitment from Scott Cowart of the Company named “Cranky Creative”, which is based in Durham, North Carolina. This company does the actual wrapping of vehicles, and they have expressed an enthusiastic interest in participating in this project. Secondly, Cranky Creative has discussed this project with the international Company “Mactac” (the manufacturers of the actual wrapping material), and they have made an enthusiastic commitment to this project, as well.

As far as the information advertised on my truck getting exposure, that is no problem - as I stated, earlier, I drive several hundreds of miles, each day. I travel between Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina for my work, and I travel the entire Country while hiking and camping. I can not possibly begin to tell you what it would mean to me to be able to drive around every day thinking that maybe, just maybe, I may be helping to prevent a family from experiencing the tragedy of suicide. If you think this would be a meaningful project that you would like to become involved with, I would certainly welcome your collaboration.

Thank you, kindly, for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Dani

P.S. - To contact me, you can reach me via my e-mail: info@thecaptioningalternative.com

Lenovo Elevator Wrap Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:10:00 +0000

Pepto Ad - Washing Machine Wraps!

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:21:00 +0000

This is one of the best idiosyncratic uses for wrap advertising I've seen yet. The possibilities are endless if you can think creatively and maximize the use of the natural consumer environment.

Check out this website for other awesome advertising ideas: http://www.ibelieveinadv.com/commons/peptolaundry.jpg

CHRIS LEITH MONSTER TRUCK PROJECT

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:28:00 +0000

This was one of the best wrap experiences we have had in a long time! Chris Leith and Johnny Dudley are two of the jolliest people us Cranky folk have come in contact with. It really was a wrapping party.

The installation of this vehicle was done by placing a walk board across the 6' tires! This was a high wire job!

Project Description
This dealership in Wake Forest, NC is located on the corner of an intersection that receives almost 80,000 vehicles per weekend driving by it. The sign ordinances would not allow these guys to have a sign bigger than they already had! Johnny would hear all the time from people who had lived in the area for two years that they had never seen them there.

PROBLEM: Sign ordinance restriction was hurting business and visibility

SOLUTION: Put a GIANT MONSTER TRUCK on the front lawn branded with an eye catching wrap!

Since the wrap has been in place, there isn't a chance people will miss the dealership now. Already they have seen a significant increase in weekend foot traffic through the dealership. Not to mention a ton of rubber necking from the people driving by.

"The Monster Truck is a real crowd pleaser! Last Saturday I stood in front of Chris Leith Kia speaking to Mr. & Ms. Cranky about what a fine job they had done with the wrap. As we stood there enjoying the view of that red, white and blue www.chrisleithchevy.com clad Monster Truck, we saw at least 10 people pull into the dealership to have photos taken with it! Some even went on test drives in new Kia's (that's the idea right!) It's been out there for about a week now, and people have been stopping by all week. It looks great, the community, and passers by really enjoy it." - Johnny Dudley, Chris Leith Automotive

Cranky Creative Forms Strategic Alliance with Fusion Multicultural Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:53:00 +0000

March 17, 2008

Durham, NC - Cranky Creative Group and FUSION Multicultural Marketing form Strategic Alliance

The long discussed decision to align Fusion and Cranky came early this morning at a meeting at Downtown Raleigh's Capital City Club. Barbra Denison, CEO of Cranky Creative Group and Iris Ramirez-Reese, CEO of FUSION announced to the press today that the value created by this alliance could no longer be ignored. "Our companies together create a powerful double vertical niche that already has enabled us to offer services nationwide that no other company to this date has offered." stated Barbra Denison.

The alliance came as no surprise to the regional business community. Fusion and Cranky have been working together to powerfully leverage Bilingual Wrap Advertising and Campaign Development to the market over the last quarter and their rapidly emerging success locally and regionally prompted this public alliance.

Fusión is an advertising, marketing and communications agency headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. The agency's goal is to help clients navigate and prosper in America's changing cultural marketing landscape of the 21st century. We help clients function and grow through better communication at every level.

Fusion's Website

Cranky Creative Group is the America’s Premiere Wrap Advertising Agency. They create high-impact marketing and advertising campaigns in places traditional advertising can't touch. We wrap elevators, vehicles, windows, floors, staircases, walls and furniture with graphics in ways that create powerful advertising environments.

Cranky Creative's Website

SOPRANOS DANGLING ARM CAMPAIGN

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:37:00 +0000

Here is a clever Guerrilla Marketing idea for the Sopranos on HBO. This is proof that you don't need and in fact are probably better off doing low-cost, simple, and relavent marketing.

Time to ask yourself, what concept in your organization or brand can you integrate naturally into the landscape of your consumer?

GIANT TEXTURED WALL WRAPS

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:49:00 +0000

Yes, that is fully removable, full-color, printed vinyl 40' wall mural!

Don't use cheesy banners, call Cranky Creative today to get a quote on a wall wrap - 919.596.5588 x 1

GREAT HUMAN RACE

By Elizabeth Templin : The Herald-Sun
news@heraldsun.com
Feb 16, 2008

DURHAM -- Organizers of Durham's 13th annual Great Human Race, a 5K run and walk organized by the Volunteer Center of Durham to raise money for local nonprofit organizations are hoping that new wrap advertisements will draw more attention to the race and increase participation.

The first of a series of wrap advertisements for the Great Human Race went up Friday morning in Peabody Square on South Duke Street. It's a temporary 25-foot wall mural made of 3M Scotchcal vinyl that adheres to the brick wall and looks like paint and features a runner breaking through a wall of bricks.

The installer used heat to seal the adhesive of three large strips of vinyl to the brick wall. It will be removed after the end of March race.

The Peabody Square mural is only one piece of a larger advertising campaign for this year's race. Cranky Creative Group of Durham donated about 3,000 square feet of wrap advertisements in various formats for several locations, said Keoni Denison, vice president of sales for Cranky Creative.

The campaign will include wall murals, and wall, car, floor, stairway, table and elevator graphics and will appear in such locations here as Credit Suisse, AICPA, First South Bank, Measurement Inc., Downtown Durham YMCA and Easley Elementary School.

Barbra Denison, Cranky Creative president and CEO, said the company works with the form and function of the object they are wrapping in order to create a 3-dimensional advertising experience.

The people featured in the race wrap ads are local community members -- among them Mayor Bill Bell -- who volunteered to have their pictures taken at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

"We used cutouts of local people in the ads to make the Great Human Race reflect the community, which is what the race is all about," said Tammy Dorfman, Great Race coordinator at the Volunteer Center.

Barbra Denison said, "I loved the Volunteer Center's concept of gathering people together. I wanted to help promote the race and promote wrap advertising."

"We're hoping people will see the sign, recognize it and want to be a part of the race," said Dorfman. "In the past we've done ads in newspapers, distributed brochures and posters around town and advertised on Web sites and Web calendars as well as independent print calendars."

Dorfman said the Volunteer Center wants to raise awareness of the race and make it easier for race participants to raise money. The race is a fund-raiser for local nonprofit groups and allows participants to raise money for the nonprofit of their choice.

Stephen Raburn, Volunteer Center executive director, said, "The race boosts morale and builds camaraderie among nonprofits and their supporters. It is overwhelming to see so many people come out in support of the community. The race represents every aspect of the community and every social issue."

Last year's race included some 1,200 participants who raised about $100,000 for 54 Durham and area nonprofits. This year, Dorfman expects between 1,500 and 1,800 participants.

Nonprofit participation has increased from 54 nonprofits last year to 85 this year.

"The race is our gift to the community. We plan it all year long," Raburn said. "Nonprofits might not have the resources to do an event like this on their own. We also raise awareness of volunteerism through the race."

The Great Human Race begins at 9:30 a.m., March 29, at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Race participants can compete in the competitive 5K run or the more relaxed 5K walk. Registration forms are available at http://www.thevolunteercenter.org/ghr/register.html online.

© 2008 by The Durham Herald Company. All rights reserved.

Vehicle Wraps are an Effective Advertising Medium

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:51:00 +0000

We are featured in February's issue of WideFormat Imaging magazine!

Contact Cranky Creative Group for Fleet and Vehicle Wraps Nationwide

Check it out -

Unwrapping the Keys to Success

Jeffrey Steele

Durham, NC-based Cranky Creative offers their clients an entire wrap campaign.

When is it a good thing to be stuck in traffic or have to feed the meter of a city parking slot? When the vehicle you're driving is wrapped in advertisements for your very own business. More and more advertisers are recognizing that vehicle wraps are among the most cost-effective ways to promote a good or service. And that's translating into opportunity for wide-format imaging pros specializing in vehicle wraps.

An entirely different approach to building profitability is the one being employed by Cranky Creative. Its CEO Keoni Denison and president Barb Denison are employing a strategy they feel has not been used before. Cranky Creative is "America's first wrap advertising agency," concentrating not just on the execution and installation, but on the entire wrap campaign, Barb Denison says.

The company began as a sign shop that expanded into the vehicle graphics market, she says. When the Denisons saw they were being undercut on price by shops going cheaper and cheaper, they realized their value was in being idea people.

"We're standing apart because customers are demanding better quality designs," she says. "Back in the day, wraps were pretty novel, and the designs and aesthetics could be bad but still eye catching because [the medium] itself was new. More recently, it's become more sophisticated as an art medium. We're actually recruiting artists from the advertising agency world, who have more sophisticated design backgrounds."

As a result, the entire communication with customers changes, the Denisons say. That conversation begins by discussing customers' marketing/advertising strategies, and goes on to address how the vehicle will fit in that strategy, what the target market is and whether this is the most effective way to promote the brand. "That helps us have the vehicle wrap be an extension of the marketing campaign they're doing," Keoni says.

Both Denisons believe that gaining profitability in vehicle wraps is a matter of giving customers better, more attention-getting designs, offering them a full range of services and valuing the importance of creative in an increasingly me-too environment.

"In the advertising world, they value creative," Keoni Denison says. "The target market had to change for us. We're retargeting to a more sophisticated, higher-class client. You can always go elsewhere to get something cheaper."

Click here to read the entire article

Traditional Wraps vs. Conceptual Wrap Advertising

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:11:00 +0000

So I was talking to a friend in the wraps industry yesterday who wanted to know what a "wrap advertising agency is vs. a traditional "wrap company" and I was forced to whip out my spiel. Which goes something like this:

The average wrap is simply branding on a vehicle or object. Take an ad for a particular company and stick it on a vehicle... maybe even do a bit of creative design to it to make it stand out. See the bus below.

Then look at the bus below... and you tell me the difference!

The shark wrap integrates the function and form of the object into the design of the wrap to create an interactive experience. Anyone who rides to work on this bus is going to talk about it all day... hence creating an instantaneous gang of salespeople for National Geographic! It is all about creating interesting experiences that create conversations, not simply annoying advertisements. Seth Godin, the author of Purple Cow, names this phenomenon IDEAVIRUSES. Creating salespeople out of clients by creating memorable experiences with inventive marketing, exceptional customer service, or anything to get them talking about something that is out of the hum-drum of everyday life! Check out his blog when you have a moment: Seth's Blog.

Wrapping all of this together with track ability through promotional codes, registration lists surveys, and other tactics showcase some of the most powerful "non-advertising" advertising out there. Involve the market in an unusual, epic experience/adventure and viola! hooked. This is the secret of success for some of the most brilliant marketers in the world. And now, introducing wrap advertising campaigns into the mix... oh what fun!

PDAA Master Certified!

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:35:00 +0000

Durham, NC - Cranky Creative was officially MASTER certified by PDAA (Professional Decal Application Association) at WrapQuest 2007 in Fla. One of only 47 Master Certified Companies in the nation, Cranky is now the only one in the Carolina's.

Master certification proves that our installers are trained professionally to apply Avery, Mactac, Arlon, and Flexcon vinyls at a Master Level. This means that we passed a series of tests at the highest level possible for vinyl application of those products.

We are proud to have earned this certification to show to our clients that we are continually improving to provide only the highest quality wraps in the industry.

To visit the PDAA website go to: www.pdaa.com

Elevator Wraps - A Very Effective Advertising Media

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:28:00 +0000

Contact Cranky Creative Group for Elevator Wraps Nationwide

A Strong Case for Elevator Wraps

Bill Schiffner
Elevator wraps are fast becoming an effective medium that many corporations are using as an advertising vehicle for their messages. They can't be turned off or discarded and are read over and over again. Messages are the first and last thing people see as they wait for and leave the elevator. Research conducted by the marketing departments of Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto and Capilano College in Vancouver showed that elevator advertising achieved the highest unaided medium awareness with 84 percent and elevator advertising was tops in media recall with 96 percent.

We produce, design, and install elevator wraps all over the US. Please visit our website: Cranky Creative Group

You can also read the entire article here at Wide Format Imaging Magazine

BILL GATES LAST DAY - Brilliant Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:18:00 +0000

I cannot believe Bill could pull this off... but he did, and it is a bit of marketing history :-)

Brilliant Marketing - BRAWNDO

noreply@blogger.com (Wrap Happy) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:12:00 +0000

This is something that every person in marketing will appreciate...