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The KC Streetcar is sporting some new blues this season as Kansas City gets ready to kick-off the 2019 Major League Baseball season.
During the mid-morning hours of Friday, March 8, 2019, the Always Royal Streetcar rolled onto the tracks and through downtown for the first time. Downtown residents, workers and visitors were the first to see an 8-foot tall Adalberto Modesi and Whit Merrifield slide down Main Street towards Union Station. Together with the Kansas City Royals, the KC Streetcar Authority official unveiled the Always Royal Streetcar outside of Union Station with the help of Sluggerr, K-Crew and members of the Kansas City Royals organization.
The artwork, created by Kansas City-based advertising firm, Walz Tetrick, brings a bit of Kauffman Stadium to downtown Kansas City. The KC Streetcar is wrapped with 450 feet of 3M vinyl material designed to withstand all types of weather, dirt, dust and washings.
In addition to the vinyl material, the design team got creative with the use of a lenticular material which allows for motion in a 2-dimensional image. There are two of these “moving images” on the Always Royal KC Streetcar. Each side of the KC Streetcar features the Royals’ 2019 slogan, “Always Royal” in a “lenticular” material, which allows the word “Royal” to transform as the streetcar moves. On one side, “Royals” transforms to “Driven,” and “Tough.” On the other side, “Royals” transforms to “Loyal,” and “Moving.” The Always Royal experience doesn’t end at the streetcar doors but continues inside the KC Streetcar with Royals branding, colors and game day schedules.
“One KC Streetcar vehicle is 77 feet long, 12 feet high and 8 feet wide. You need a lot of vinyl to cover that much vehicle,” said Tom Gerend, executive director of the KC Streetcar Authority.
The printing and installation was completed by Sign Co, located in Kansas City, Kansas. It took three days to print and prep all of the artwork and 24 hours to install.
This is the first time the Kansas City Royals and the KC Streetcar have teamed up together. Earlier this year, the Chiefs KC Streetcar while the Kansas City Chiefs took off on their playoff run.