Launceston sign company Fingerprint Signs is one of four continental winners in the Avery Dennison Wrap Like a King competition, with its Barn Find 24/7 design sending the company to Las Vegas for the final at SEMA 2018 later this month.
Fingerprint's Josh Nielsen said he was shocked to find out the entry, inspired by abandoned cars found in barns and paddocks, had won the Australia and New Zealand title. "Wrap Like a King has been a great experience and opportunity for me and the team at Fingerprint Signs. We didn’t expect to become the continental winner for ANZ, but it has made us feel so much better about our work," he said.
"I have always been inspired by the wrap work done all over the world, which pushed me to follow my dream in becoming a wrap designer and installer. I never thought I would get this far, and it’s a great feeling to know that my work is not only enjoyed by the locals in Tasmania but now all over the world."
According to Nielsen, the entry took more than 50 hours of hard work. "I actually wrapped a 1/24 scale model before I wrapped the car itself, to make sure everything would fit right," he said.
The Fingerprint team will now face off against the other continental champions, from South Korea, Florida, and the UK, to determine 2018's King of the Wrap World.
Jeff Losch, marketing director at Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions, says he and the judges are looking forward to the final in Vegas. “We’re one step away from a new global wrap king, and each of the remaining entries is a strong representation of what this challenge is all about,” he said. “Our team cannot wait to see the winners in Las Vegas, because each one has accomplished something remarkable.”
The reigning champion, Nick Caminiti of Exotic Graphix in Melbourne, hung up his crown this year.