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Catching the public eye

Rukmini Priyadarshini

IN these days of `oh so real' ads of tempting cars, clothing, fruits, movies, potato chips, sunglasses and pizzas, when was the last time anybody actually saw artists perched precariously on scaffolding, painting hoardings?

These urban fixtures pop up overnight and are everywhere -- on flyovers, along roads, on walls, sides of vehicles, the front of an entire building even. Their realistic and vibrant images are thanks to the advances of computerised graphics and printing t echnologies.

Ever since it introduced its patented computer painting process, MetroMedia Technology, has been among the leaders in the imaging industry. Located in Bangalore's Electronics City, MMT India (Pvt) Ltd, is a division of MMT (US) in a joint venture with Se lvel India.

According to Raman Multani, General Manager, India, ``MMT has a patented imaging technology where, given digitised images, its robotic drums will apply individual dots of paint to reinforced flexible substrates.'' MMT uses paints for its printing and off ers 5-year guarantees on its signages.

MMT has seven production facilities across the world in Australia, Malaysia, US, Brazil, The Netherlands and India. Headquartered in Bangalore, MMT India started operations in June 1996 and has offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta. It plan s to expand its reach to more urban centres.

The Bangalore facility produces digital prints for outdoor use in India, ``as well as export to the SAARC countries and Central Asian Republics,'' according to Multani.

At its recently inaugurated $5 million plant at Electronics City in Bangalore, MMT's robotic painters can produce images on vinyl in a few hours to be used on billboards, vehicle-sides, on-premise signage, front-lit and back-lit advertisements...

``It is the ideal means to build and sustain brand image and our client list includes signages for ICICI, STAR Movies, Pepsodent, Liril, Kodak, Ford, Tata AIG, Britannia, BPL, Airtel, Sony Entertainment Television and Hyundai Motors among others,'' Multa ni added.

MMT is moving towards offering end-to-end signage solution: ``We are looking to be a one-stop shop for all signage -- in-shop displays, dealer signboards, front-lit and back-lit displays and fleet graphics, murals, hoardings and all outdoor advertising.' ' MMT is tying up with partners and suppliers to enable such a diversification into the total signage industry.

``The total signage market in India could be about Rs 600-700 crore and that is the market we address,'' Multani said. Of course, the high colour fidelity and low turnaround time that go to create the true-to-life images come at a price: ``We could be 60 -100 per cent more expensive than the inkjet printers who could be termed competition.''

Yet MMT has a growing list of customers. The reason: ``Our plant is totally automated. We use paint not ink and offer vibrant images. Colour reproduction is better and we offer a five-year guarantee on the quality of our vinyls,'' according to Multani.

In the case of ink-jet printing, the deterioration in outdoors signage starts in three months and its starts to peel and fade within eight months. ``So, while an ink-jet image could be good enough for a month-long promotional, brand building campaigns an d those looking to maintain brand visibility and recall choose MMT,'' points out Multani.

MMT's substrate quality and giant printing drums at the company's plant are mounted with the fabric substrate. With totally determination of dot size, placement and blend, the robotic printers permit perfect reproductions at every print run according to the company.

Further, the vinyls are reusable which means that a campaign planned to be rolled out in a number of cities or in the metros first and the B-cities later, could reuse the campaign material for extended periods.

Also, MMT promises quick delivery, no seams/joins on large billboards and superior image quality. ``We are doing a compete building wrap in Mumbai soon and that is an indication of customer appreciation of our technology and quality,'' Multani added.

Pic.: Outside drums suitable for large format paintings of hoardings at Metro Media Technology's computer painting facility.

(A broadsheet feature on electronics city, Bangalore)