We were brought in by Marketing Company ‘FIVE 33’ to provide both automation and scenery for the launch of the new Adidas Predator® PowerSwerve football boot. With just three weeks until the launch, we were charged with producing precision replicas of a pair of the new boots – but at 25 times their normal size. Each boot was to measure seven metres in length, being revealed from a giant shoebox complete with automated lid.
Significant contributions were made from across the breadth of our in-house departments including metalwork, CNC machining, sculpting, fibreglassing, chroming, scenic painting, hydraulic engineering and automation. We are convinced that being able to offer all of these services from under one roof was instrumental in the successful delivery of this project.
After scanning the original boots, a 3D computerised model was created and programmed into our 5-axis CNC machine. This machine was used to carve the boots from polyurethane foam into nine manageable sections. These were then secured around an armature to give strength and support. Fibreglassing was then used to help consolidate the structures. Our team of highly skilled sculptors took over to create the surface detailing and enhance the shape. They scaled up and replicated a range of textures including leather and cast plastics, reproducing the laces and stitching – all by hand. The stunningly accurate textural detail we achieved proved that there need be no compromise on quality, in spite of the complicated nature of the project and the extremely short timeframe.
The boots were then placed in a giant automated ‘shoebox’ constructed from layher staging, steel frames and gloss black pvc. The lid hinged open to reveal the boots using our unique hydraulic systems, pioneered and perfected by our team over the years, while a bespoke eight-metre long scissor lift was made to fit the shoebox and raise 10 players up to a height of over six metres. All moving elements were controlled using our automation system, Qmotion.
Further challenges came in the form of difficult bureaucratic and environmental conditions as the entire 25 tonne set was positioned in a cobbled public area of Paris’s Place du Trocadero, requiring watertight paperwork from the Mayor’s office.
