Two-time King of the Wrap World Nick Caminiti of Exotic Graphix in Melbourne has teamed up with wrap expert Justin Pate, of The Wrap Institute in the United States, to give a charity van a much-needed makeover.
Caminiti, who took out the top prize in the 2016 and 2017 Avery Dennison Wrap Like a King challenges, and the team from Exotic Graphix worked with Pate to wrap the van for The Big Umbrella at a live event in Carrum Downs, Victoria. "It was an awesome opportunity to work with Justin, and on such a worthy cause too," said Caminiti. "We’re grateful to have the opportunity to pay it forward with The Big Umbrella, just doing what we love best."
Though the occasion was a special one, Exotic Graphix treated it as professionally as any other job, says Caminiti, who was inspired by the work The Big Umbrella does for the underprivileged. "We worked with the client on a design brief, opened the shop up and worked on their Kia Carnival van. It was great for them to see how the work gets done.
"After seeing what they do, it was quite special. They do a lot for the community, especially being a smaller charity. It’s good to be able to give back," he said.
Pate was in Melbourne for the first stop on his 2018 advanced wrapping workshops tour, which aims to help experienced wrappers hone their skills, and said he was excited to work with Caminiti on the charity installation. "The TWI Live event was extra special to do in Melbourne as it gave me an opportunity to work with Nick Caminiti and his crew at Exotic Graphix. It was great to let people see the transformational power of wraps in real time as well as have the final wrap be for a good cause.
"To see how happy The Big Umbrella was to essentially get a 'brand-new' van was priceless. Huge thanks to Avery Dennison and Graphic Art Mart for collaborating on this event and I hope to do it again next time I’m in Australia or New Zealand," he said.
The Big Umbrella Foundation focuses on addressing issues faced by marginalised people in Australia and overseas. The van that was wrapped has been used for eight years to ferry more than 22,000 volunteers delivering hot meals to Melbourne's homeless. One volunteer, Lucy Alasso, was thrilled to see the van's transformation, saying it would make the charity the talk of the street. "This will make a difference to being noticed and getting more volunteers and supporters on board. We can't thank Avery Dennison enough for this opportunity, and for introducing us to the amazing Justin Pate and talented guys at Exotic Graphix along with Graphic Art Mart’s support," she said.
Jordan Leach, senior business manager at Avery Dennison Graphic Solutions in Australia and New Zealand, said he was glad to see the two industry experts work together on the one project. “This isn’t something that can happen any day and we’re indeed proud to have made it happen in collaboration with our valued partners.
"We’re even happier to have been able to contribute towards the needs of our local communities and shine the spotlight on the excellent work by The Big Umbrella and their volunteers here," he said.