The London-based large-format printer produced the 2.6x3.6m banner to celebrate Ukraine’s 31st independence day anniversary, as part of a global campaign to attract business to Ukraine.
The banner, which featured a message from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky emblazoned over the Ukrainian flag, read: “We are free. We are strong. We are open for business.”
Wahooti was commissioned by advertising agency Ogilvy, which is part of communications and advertising company WPP Group, a regular client of Wahooti.
Owner Julian Manuel told Printweek: “We said we’d absolutely love to do it, and obviously [that] we’d like to do this for nothing, just as a gesture of good faith.
“So I went along [to the embassy], did a site survey, and advised the agency on the best place to put the flag - bearing in mind that it is a listed building in Holland Park, so you can’t screw anything into the wall.
“We printed the job, and went back on Monday night, about 9pm, just as it was getting dark, and fitted the banner outside.”
Wahooti printed the flag on 300gsm mesh PVC with its Fuji Uvistar superwide-format UV press.
Manuel added that the cause was important to all of them at the firm, which has also recently taken two Ukrainian refugees onto its payroll.
He said: “They were asking if local companies would be able to offer them employment, so we took them both on, and I’m happy to say their work ethic is amazing.”
