Posted:08-October-2008
John Sergeant Presents Raccoon with Major Sign Industry Awards
EDENBRIDGE, KENT - The sleek styling of Raccoon Group’s vehicle wraps have once again earned the rapidly expanding franchise company accolades on the national level. The firm brought home two major honours from last month’s Sign Industry Awards, including the coveted Sign of the Year award, which were presented by broadcaster of renown and current favourite to win the sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing, John Sergeant.
Says Richard Clark, franchisor and MD of Raccoon Group: “We are honoured to be recognised on the national level with such prestigious awards. We were simply thrilled to take Sign of the Year honours. This award is the industry’s highest. Earning it speaks volumes about the skill and creativity of our professional designers.”
The Sign of the Year award was given to Raccoon for its work on vehicles in the Gumball 3000 ’07 Rally. For that event, Raccoon gave a Lamborghini Gallardo a mirror chrome finish and also speciality wrapped a total of 24 other cars, including Porches, Aston Martins and Rolls Royces. The custom wraps transformed “ordinary” vehicles into works of art on wheels.
According to the Sign Industry Awards, the job was so detailed and impressive it “stunned the judging panel” and led to a unanimous decision to honour Raccoon Group with the industry’s highest honours.
The Gumball Rally showed just how well Raccoon’s team of designers and wrappers could work under pressure, Clark explained. The team had only eight days to create distinct designs for each of the cars, print and laminate them and then wrap each car, he said. The idea was to create masterpieces on wheels that would travel across 12 different countries.
The Vehicle Graphic of the Year award was presented to Sam Williams, Raccoon’s Hampshire franchisee, for work in promoting the new movie, “The Darjeeling Ltd.” The challenge presented to Williams involved creating distinct designs for Tuk Tuks that would catch the eye while also showcasing the new release, starring Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson and Jason Swartzman.
Williams, who has only been a franchisee for a year, explained the difficulty of the job, considering the unique style of the Tuk Tuk and the size limitations involved. “In two days, we were able to wrap two 40-foot, articulated lorries to carry the England rugby team’s baggage all the way to France for the World Cup,” Williams said. “By comparison, it took us that same amount of time to completely wrap one tiny Tuk Tuk!”
Clark said the Vehicle Graphic of the Year award is not only a big feather in Williams’ cap, but also a major achievement for Raccoon Group as a whole.
“This is the fourth year in a row that we’ve won the Vehicle Graphic of the Year award,” he said. “This cements our position as the UK’s No. 1 vehicle wrapping specialist. It also clearly demonstrates how quickly our franchisees can develop their businesses and excel in the field. Sam’s been spot on with hitting targets that we’ve set for him and this award proves that he and his franchise are both exemplary.”
For more information about Raccoon Group and its eye-catching designs contact Richard Clark on 0845 257 8757.
About Raccoon Group
The Edenbridge-based Raccoon Group is a large format graphics and display company that was founded in 1992. Since its establishment, the multi-award-winning firm has been an industry leader in vehicle branding and is considered one of the pioneers in vehicle wrapping. Raccoon’s franchises have earned numerous accolades through the years, including the 2002 Mactac Awards for work in completely wrapping a double-decker bus. It has also been a repeat showstopper at the Sign Industry Awards.
