Working with Exhibition Hub, we recently completed this fast turnaround project branding the Boiler House on Brick Lane, Shoreditch for the new Art of the Brick exhibition.
Citiprint were asked to rebrand all the external panels on a tight turnaround and with limited street access.
The exhibition is now open and you can book here.
In the bustling metropolis of London, where businesses strive for excellence and innovation, Citiprint has emerged as a shining star in the world of signage and printing. The prestigious Business Awards UK recently crowned Citiprint as the Best Sign & Printing Company of 2023, recognizing the company’s unwavering commitment to quality, creativity, and customer satisfaction.
Citiprint’s journey to winning the Business Awards UK has been marked by dedication and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Established in 2016, Citiprint started as a small printing firm with offices in St Albans. However, the company’s founder envisioned something greaterโan enterprise that not only meets the printing needs of businesses but also exceeds expectations through fast turnarounds and outstanding customer service.
Over the years, Citiprint invested in state-of-the-art technology and assembled a team of skilled professionals who share the company’s passion for pushing the boundaries of creativity in printing and signage. Their commitment to staying ahead of industry trends and embracing cutting-edge technologies positioned Citiprint as a frontrunner in the competitive market.
Citiprint’s commitment to eco-friendly printing solutions has also been a standout feature. Embracing sustainable practices, the company has implemented environmentally conscious printing processes and materials, aligning its business practices with the growing demand for eco-friendly options in the industry.
Citiprint’s success is not solely attributed to its technical prowess but also to its customer-centric approach. The company understands that each client is unique, with specific needs and visions. Citiprint collaborates closely with its clients, ensuring that the final product not only meets but exceeds expectations. This personalized touch and commitment to customer satisfaction have earned Citiprint a loyal client base and glowing testimonials.
Citiprint’s recognition as the Best Sign & Printing Company at the Business Awards UK 2023 is a testament to its dedication to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction. As the company continues to evolve and set new standards in the industry, it serves as an inspiring example for businesses striving to make a positive impact through creativity, technology, and community engagement. The award is not just a celebration of past achievements but a stepping stone for Citiprint as it continues to lead the way in the dynamic world of printing and signage in London and beyond.
In the world of television, there are moments when shows transcend mere entertainment and become powerful tools for raising awareness and funds for crucial causes. Channel 4’s “Don’t Look Down” is one such show, known for its unique blend of entertainment and charity fundraising. This blog post explores the inspiring collaboration between Citiprint and Stand Up 2 Cancer, which saw the branding of Audi Q7s to support this noble cause, transporting the celebrity contestants to and from Wembley Stadium.
“Don’t Look Down” is not your average TV show. Instead of focusing solely on celebrities’ competitive spirit, it combines high-stakes challenges with an important mission โ raising funds for Stand Up 2 Cancer, a UK-based charity that supports life-saving research into cancer.
The show features a group of fearless celebrities who tackle extreme challenges, often involving dizzying heights and daunting obstacles. These brave participants push their limits, all for the noble cause of eradicating cancer. With such an impactful mission, it’s no wonder that “Don’t Look Down” has garnered a dedicated fan base.
Citiprint and the Power of Vehicle Branding in London
Citiprint, a renowned same day printing company, has established a reputation for delivering exceptional branding solutions for huge clients. When approached by Stand Up 2 Cancer to support the “Don’t Look Down” fundraising campaign, Citiprint saw an opportunity to use their expertise to make a real difference.
The Collaboration
Citiprint decided to go the extra mile by branding a fleet of Audi Q7s with the “Don’t Look Down” and Stand Up 2 Cancer logos. These eye-catching vehicles became mobile billboards, promoting the show and the charity’s mission as they roamed the streets. The collaboration aimed to raise awareness and encourage more people to get involved in the fight against cancer.
The Branded Audi Q7s
The Audi Q7, a luxury SUV, provided the perfect canvas for Citiprint’s creative branding work. Each car was meticulously adorned with bold graphics, making them stand out wherever they went. The vehicles not only looked stunning but also carried an important message of hope and support for those affected by cancer.
The Impact
The branded Audi Q7s created a significant impact, helping to drive more attention to the show and the cause it represents. People on the streets, social media, and TV viewers couldn’t help but notice these distinctive vehicles, which acted as moving advertisements for the “Don’t Look Down” campaign.
Beyond the immediate visual impact, the branding effort succeeded in fostering a sense of community. When people saw the Audi Q7s, they felt a connection to the cause and the show, motivating them to engage in the fundraising efforts.
The Power of Collaboration
The Citiprint and Stand Up 2 Cancer collaboration to brand Audi Q7s for “Don’t Look Down” illustrates the incredible power of businesses and charitable organizations coming together for a common purpose. It’s a shining example of how creativity and branding can be used for the greater good, amplifying the message and impact of a charitable cause.
Conclusion
Channel 4’s “Don’t Look Down” is more than just a TV show; it’s a platform for change. Citiprint’s decision to brand Audi Q7s in support of Stand Up 2 Cancer’s mission exemplifies the power of creativity and collaboration to drive awareness and fundraising efforts for a worthy cause. The branded vehicles not only added flair to the campaign but also served as a symbol of hope and unity in the fight against cancer. In a world where entertainment and charity often converge, this partnership between Citiprint and Stand Up 2 Cancer stands as a shining example of how businesses can make a meaningful impact on society.
Towards the end of 2022 Citiprint completed a roll out of rebranding to InstaVolt’s EV Charger network. We were approached to carry out the work by the Marketing Manager at InstaVolt to assist in completing work across 130 locations as part of their sponsorship deal with E.ON Energy.
InstaVolt’s leading charger network covers a vast area in the UK with our work alone covering some 2000 miles, from Newquay and Bournemoth, as far north as Liverpool and Keswick.
We were chosen for our ability to replace vinyl graphics on the chargers on site without third party involvement and our 24/7 nature. Work was carried out at all hours by an installer of ours who was able to complete the work in just under five days with zero downtime or interruption to InstaVolt’s customers looking to utilise the chargers.
The work further worked to highlight our skill and experience when it comes to large scale national roll out work, with a very similar project being completed in 2021 for JustEat in which over 500 restaurants were rebranded within a week with new POS and hard signage.
Our work for InstaVolt is expected to continue with similar future projects and we are proud to have been able to accomplish this large project successfully.
We recently had the pleasure of testing out the new VN5 electric van from LEVC (the makers of those swanky electric black cabs). Here’s what we thought after a few days of driving, delivering and charging our potential new delivery vehicle.
Day 1
Early mornings aren’t often exciting but when a new van to trial is being delivered, it’s cause for ignoring the snooze button and making our way in to meet the driver. Our first impressions were the size of the VN5, it strikes somewhere between our existing Caddy Maxis and perhaps the Mercedes Vito? It really does have a presence which I’ll come onto in a bit more detail shortly.
The keyless start was a great change and immediately feels useful when it comes to multi drop delivery days where time is often of the essence and fumbling around for keys whilst trying to move from double yellows is less than ideal. Once you’ve unlocked the van, the interior is pretty unique in the van market – you sit high, atop of the battery bank and have a seating position akin to that of a cabbie. It takes a little bit of getting used to but after a while, around town, you realise how well it works and the comfort that comes with it certainly surprises.
It was definitely clear that this van is a gamechanger and has a great amount of appeal, from those who know and those who don’t. With what’s normally a 30 second run in to our suppliers turning into a 20 minute conversation with a neighbouring business who had seen the VN5 advertised and wanted to find out more. He likewise agreed the size is impressive but we did also find some middle ground on the question of cost.
Day 2
With a few installations and deliveries, the VN5 was really put to the test – using Smart drive mode, the van recharged using kinetic energy and utilised battery power before switching over to its petrol range extender (more on this later before you bash it!) – the smooth drive and silence are strangely pleasing after a while, feeling almost stress free as you glance left and right at those diesel van drivers sick of changing into first only to inch forward and sit idling.
In Summer of 2020, we utilised the lockdowns to trial a Renault Kangoo ZE which we purchased and sold just under a week later. Why? The dreaded range. EV range is probably best compared to that of politicians – there’s a huge load of promise and you believe it but quickly realise you’re in for a long ride of disappointment. Real world range becomes the phrase you have to hunt for in reviews to actually grasp some concept of how far you can really go. The VN5 though… you guessed it, is different.
Using a petrol range extender, which does mean Congestion Charge and road tax is payable, is a great feature for a business like ours and likely so many others. Delivering around London all day then get a job 100 miles away? Not a problem. Driving to site visits or trade events and back? Not a problem. Whilst our test drive was conveniently a week before the ‘fuel crisis’ meaning we couldn’t pull a smug face as we pulled up at the pumps only to run in and buy a Mars bar, the petrol running cost on the VN5 was still considerably less than our current diesel bill.
With a total of 230 miles covered on day 2, the range certainly help up and delivered, with a lot of gawks and comments from fellow van drivers and EV geeks. So it’s definitely easy to see the marketing power of owning a VN5 given the road presence and intrigue.
Day 3
With an overnight charge at home taking 7 hours, it was time to see how the UK’s charging infrastructure truly held up. With stories of broken chargers, queues, pulling up to find a Range Rover dumped in the charging bay and every other horror story, it had a lot to live up to. The first charger we tried was at South Mimms services on the M25, with a huge array of Tesla spaces but only 4 EV chargers. The faff at first of signing up to the charger specific app, topping up the account and waiting for the charger to accept was frustrating and felt like a waste of all the time saved by not queueing for fuel. But, a services KFC provided the less than desirable opportunity to discuss with our fleet mechanic the pros and cons of this vehicle.
I’ll come back to the size, because even at a services, it felt like it needed two spaces and a wide load warning to ensure no one parked too close as they ran in for a desperate wee. But, it bloody stands out doesn’t it – the VN5 can be seen from across a car park and the beautiful LED halo headlights just add to the pizzazz. (Would have preferred a hawaiian over the lacklustre Colonel’s offering but hey ho). By time my paper straw had gone soggy, it was time to head back to the van and see how much juice we’d gained. And the fun begins… an hour’s charge had added 10 or so miles, you see there are three types of chargers and so many speeds that you’d be forgiven for wondering why switch to electric.
But, with some Instagram advice, we gained some clarity and upon some further research, the VN5 can be charged in 30 mins, with our likely charge speed being 1 hour to full at our London unit.
Verdict
So, what did we think? Am I writing this with a VN5 key on the desk? Well, no, not yet anyway. You see, purchasing an electric van is much bigger than just the van – you have the site surveys and lead time of having a 22kw charger installed, which takes up our last 3-phase point, then the logistics of day to day. Do our drivers take the VN5 home to charge or return to base and take their own vehicles home? Do we market it as fully electric knowing some are aware of the petrol element? Or do we find the ever ridiculous Congestion Charge cost prohibiting as opposed to a Euro 6 van? At the time of writing, the VN5 is a ยฃ50k+ vehicle which does become justifiable when you get to grips with what’s on offer and the versatility but with the daily improvements in EV technology, how well will that hold up in even say 12 months? Tesco were the first to take on Modec trucks in the early 2000s who pioneered quite a smart EV commercial vehicle design, only to go bust and perform badly practically.
Whilst we have no doubt the proud UK manufacturer of the VN5 is here to stay, how do we continue to capture that appeal and intrigue to further our brand awareness?
Zapp deliver groceries in minutes, we print and deliver signage in hours… so you could say the two of us have something in common.
We were approached by Zapp to provide internal branding to their new West London hub, specifically to the outer walls of a newly constructed cold room. Knowing warehouse environments are typically cold and high traffic areas, we opted for Metamark MD5-H High Tack Vinyl, to provide a strong and high quality result.
The overall sign, measuring it at 2.5 x 7m is hugely visually striking and visible from outside the unit with the shutters open, providing additional impact to those on site. The comments from our client on site in relation to the vibrancy and depth of colours just highlight the power of our Epson SureColour range of wide format printers.
Material choice here was the most important factor with the wall also being recently painted – with MD5-H eliminating the need for primer, speeding up installation to just under an hour. Matt lamination to the graphics adds a large degree of durability to what should be in place for years to come.
It was five years in January since we officially committed to the premise of producing and delivering Same Day Printing across London, with a further 6 months of planning prior. Since those early days with a few rented desks in an office, we’ve continued to grow massively year on year, expanding our operations, bringing in new machinery and talent and continuing to push further ahead at the forefront of this ever growing industry.
The Print market in the UK is now worth an estimated ยฃ14bn, with that figure expected to fluxuate hugely in the coming twelve months as COVID affected firms unfortunately come and go. It remains unclear how many firms are now solely reliant on furlough whilst the market is quieter. Those who have seen a huge increase in turnover from social distancing signage and graphics may have invested heavily in new kit on the up and now face a harsh sales slump as the demand drops off. It has been imperative to us to survive the last year’s lockdown measures and market downturn, with the wait for the event and exhibitions industry to reopen almost tantalising.
But… (and I know we shouldn’t start a sentence with But but this isn’t all doom and gloom) – in the words of Sir Elton John, we’re still standing – writing this from our unit just outside of London, something we’ve been repeatedly reminded of during COVID as scam and outsourcing firms continue to crop up with no tangible bricks and mortar element. The first thing we’ve learnt is how key having premises has been to us. Whilst we’ve explored several options for moving to larger units recently, our focus has been shifted to doing the best with what we have and extracting the full potential first. We originally moved to Tilbury to provide quick and easy links to the Excel, O2 and City of London with deliveries now covering any address in London and further afield more recently. The key learning curve here has been maximising our workflow’s efficiency to enable delivery times to remain consistent with typical journey time 45 minutes.
It wouldn’t be 2021 without the huge push for sustainability and the rise of the EV, something we’ve been looking into since day one, keen on introducing zero emissions into our delivery infrastructure. Downtime last Summer enabled us to research and trial the all electric Renault Kangoo, capable of carrying around 70% of the jobs we produce. However, we found the range of these vehicles is still limiting for multi drop deliveries where vehicles can often go from East to West and back again in order to fulfill deliveries in order of urgency. The charging infrastructure within London is still somewhat limited – so does the cost of a vehicle being parked for several hours charging outweigh the savings? We’re continuing to trial new additions to the EV market this year including those from Arrival and Volta to hopefully find the perfect match for our first of many zero emissions vehicles.
Whilst the world’s manufacturing has faced huge staff shortages and issues during the pandemic, the print and sign industry has been relatively unscathed on the whole, however material shortages are starting to occur in some key areas, with many suppliers closing branches and locations and even the bulk hoarding of materials by those in the trade, namely floor graphics. This has inevitably led to inferior and unsafe floor graphics being slapped onto shop floors across the nation, with the sellotape now holding them down reminding us in the professional game how there will always be a cheaper way out for a quick buck. We’ve proudly stuck to using R10 rated floor vinyls at a minimum for all relevant jobs including those for Car Giant, care homes and those in the retail sector.
The strong position we hold as London’s only 24/7 Print and Sign company has continued to garner trust from our influx of new clients recently – with the key issue being the arrival and increase of middle men. Whilst there’s no issues in reselling or marking up in this industry, the problem comes when jobs are taken on without a supplier to turn to, hoping to find someone to squeeze on cost to maximise margins whilst never seeing or touching the final product. We are often called to fulfill orders for these jobs, and often called a short while later by the end user themselves who has paid for a product to one of these printers who has since gone silent. It falls to us to actually print and deliver, something we’re proud to have done in house now for over 1500 days. You can read more about the equipment we’re currently using here and how it enables us to deliver so quickly on Same Day Vinyl, Foamex, Signs and Banners.
And lastly, as an industry, we’ve proved we are tightknit after all. What is typically a cutthroat industry for many has been all but transformed by the new trade partnerships many have forged as they look to downsize, sell up or refocus their energy. We have seen a massive increase in trade customers with many utilising our flatbed UV printing service, powered by swissQprint.
We know it’s inevitable some names won’t reopen, a lot have made the difficult decision to close already. But come rain or shine, we’re still open all the time. In the past week alone, we’ve been through a pallet of roller banners, delivered to several film sets where others failed to deliver, and worked on Team GB’s fitting out at the NEC.
So let me tell you this printers and signmakers – it’s not long now until we’re fighting for parking spaces at exhibitions, borrowing each other’s tools and selling material to one another again. The end is in sight, and the new beginning for many is on the horizon. But for us, we’ve always been here, always will be.
Viewing London from 100ft can easily be both daunting and impressive at the same time but what about doing it totally naked?
Well, that’s what fundraisers for Coppafeel and Movember did recently at the all new London In The Sky at the O2.
We’ve had a large part to play in the launch of the 72 day opportunity to wine and dine up in the sky with the ticket office full wrap, table branding and more so to add 100 pairs of underwear into the mix was an absolute pleasure.
British Cycling came to us requiring a solution for correx sponsor signs. We came up with a solution overnight with morning delivery and were then tasked with replacing and installing new graphics on the Velodrome track finish line. This was done on a tight turnaround with limited access the night before the UCI World Cup.
Once again, we demonstrated our agility in turning around specialist sign installations on site nationwide with the correct insurance in place for client peace of mind.
Fast Turnaround on 3mm Printed Foamex boards (A0 Size) for Paddington Central in support of the Royal British Legion. We specialise in Same Day turnaround Print and Signs including Foamex Printing London.
