totally dynamic

Stirring times for Tetley as Totally Dynamic put the Tea Folk in a spin

21 July 2011

Totally Dynamic is just Tetley’s cup of tea. Our team in South London has recently brewed up a fantastic new image for the cuppa company at Thorpe Park, the thrill ride centre near London.

Scott Coleman and his wrapping experts at Totally Dynamic’s South London centre in Redhill, Surrey, were called in by Richard Hollyer, whose projects business has a long-established relationship with the Thorpe Park management team, to do a total Tetley makeover of a ride called Storm in a Teacup as part of a UK-wide sponsorship deal.

Richard said: “we act as ‘creative’ project managers and theme providers to enhance and maintain various rides and themed areas at the attraction. Totally Dynamic is always at the top of my list when vinyl wrapping is involved and thanks to Scott and his ‘dynamic team’, the project was completed in record time… and looks TEA-rrific!”

But as the fun-seeking public chase round a giant teapot in their whirling teacup-shaped carriages, they will never know just how much Scott and his team put into making their day a stirring experience.

Scott, who also runs the North London centre of the elite vehicle imaging specialist, said: “We had to make the ride look like old crockery, with cracks and splits in it. We also added Tetley logos and images of the Tetley Tea Folk, who have been advertising the tea off and on since 1973.

“It was great fun putting the Gaffer, Clarence, Sydney and the gang on the rides, but there are only two specialist artists within Tetley who are allowed to draw the characters, so we had to wait nearly a month until they were ready.”

Scott and his five-strong team created a montage of 10 characters dancing round the base of the giant teapot and more of the cloth-capped Yorkshire tea fanatics in fun poses round the 12 cups, looking as if they were falling over as the cups were swirled round.

Scott said: “We used gloss white vinyl and superimposed the cracks, the characters and everything else on top of it. The cups were 3.5m in diameter at the top, but only 1.75m at the bottom, so we were essentially working in three dimensions, which is really tricky with a flat surface.”

Only the best guys in Scott’s specialist team could work on the project and because, for space reasons, the ride could not be removed from the thrill park at Staines Road, Chertsey, in Surrey, just off the M25, they had to travel to the job.

It took five people to get the job under way on the first day then three people working constantly at it for the next four days.

But as Scott said: “It’s really been worth it as it has helped to boost the appearance of the ride but I tell you what – I could do with a good cuppa now.”