Taking Pride in Ugg Activation

By Toni McQuilken

The team at CR&A Custom worked with Ugg to craft an eye-catching float for the Los Angeles Pride Parade. | Credit: CR&A Custom

CR&A Custom, based in Los Angeles, recently had the opportunity to work on a project with the Ugg brand team to craft a float for the annual Los Angeles Pride Parade. And, notes Carmen Rad, president, “Besides printing and installing of a moving print with people, we had to consider other elements of this project like safety considerations, attaching fire extinguishers, rails, boom boxes, electrical generators, speakers, and megaphones.”

So, what went into creating the piece? Carmen’s co-owner and COO of the business, Masoud Rad, took the lead on the project, and he notes that CR&A Custom won the work because they have a relationship with the brand’s marketing agency. And, while Ugg had the general design already in mind, CR&A Custom was heavily involved in making sure it would actually work.

“The base design had already been created,” Notes Masoud, “but we were instrumental in making sure that the design fit the parameters, sizing restrictions, and safety.”

He shared details about some of the challenges the team had to overcome to execute the Ugg vision. “[The biggest challenge was] making sure that we created something that was safe for those on board while the vehicle was on the move, while being mindful of height restrictions on freeways and surface streets while driving the vehicle to the parade site,” he notes. “To overcome that, we had to get in touch with various governmental agencies like DOT, the fire department, and City of Los Angeles, and adjusted the build to satisfy 100% success.”

In total, CR&A Custom had three weeks for the project, but only one week to actually implement the final project and get it ready for the parade. They used a Durst HS350 to produce all the images, and a CNC cutter was the only other piece of equipment involved. That said, Masoud notes that the team had to do a lot of non-print work to ensure the success of the project, including engineering to ensure the entire structure could support both people and graphics. “We have extensive experience in building scenery and trade show booths, but this was the first time that the exhibit was a moving float,” Masoud says.

In the end, Carmen notes that the entire team was very proud of the work, since they take pride in being a diverse workforce, and a woman-owned business. Carmen herself is actively involved in her community, working to help other women be successful in business, so the chance to extend that advocacy to the LGBTQ+ community was a welcome one.

“This project was made to honor Pride Week, and we were proud to have played a small part in this celebration,” Masoud notes.