Spec's Music Stores Revamp Look

Few industries introduce products as fast and furiously as the music business. And for years, Miami-based Spec's Music Inc. relied on that constant, letting the variety and excitement of the product itself do the talking. Now, the 45-year-old family-owned chain is asking P-O-P to take on some of the responsibility for stirring up energy in store."We wanted to create a bright, colorful and user-friendly store environment for all kinds of buyers, from ages 15 to 75," says Jeff Clifford, vice president of merchandising and marketing. "We want our stores to convey an enjoyable entertainment atmosphere, like an amusement park for your ears."To create their version of Coney Island south, Spec's worked with New York-based Walker Group/CNI and other suppliers. The designers created a whole new in-store graphics program complete with a revised store logo. At the core of the redesign, however, are eight large murals that set off particular areas of the store."No specific, known musicians or celebrity groups are represented in the murals," notes Clifford. Instead, artist Adam Cohen was commissioned to capture "the attitude and sensibility" of each musical style. The resulting images are combined in a "colorful, multilayered composition that is reminiscent of a pop-up card," describes Clifford.Impossible Products Inc., Miami, selected Gatorfoam Graphic Arts Board by International Paper as the mounting substrate for Cohen's images. The product is a durable, lightweight polystyrene foam core bonded between two layers of Luxcell, a wood-fiber veneer laminate.The artist's digital images were converted from a computer disk into photo transparencies by Robyn Color Lab Inc., in San Francisco. CLM Imaging Inc., Miami, produced and mounted the photo prints on half-inch Gatorfoam.While Gatorfoam answered some of the designers' problems, it also created one. The material is manufactured in standard 4-foot-by-8-foot sheets. The murals measure 12 feet wide, 5 feet high and 2 feet deep. Impossible Products developed a special structural joint to join two sections of board while preserving a smooth surface for photo mounting. The company is pursuing a patent on the technique, which is said to rely on special glues and custom tools rather that the traditional dowel method.Four sets of photo prints were needed to produce the murals' dimensional effect. Saber saws fitted with modified Swiss blades cut out portions of the mounted art. The cut-out pieces were finished with a special paint that filled in the open edges. The four layers were then secured together via a combination of epoxies.

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

You May Also Like

Goody Tru Line Debuts Exclusively at Walmart

Coca-Cola 'Kick Off Match Day' Case Stack Signage