Panini Blog
Panini Blog
Every product that Panini America creates — even those as rich, decadent, high-end and hubbub-inducing as the upcoming 2011-12 Prime Hockey and 2011-12 Dominion Hockey — first begin to take shape on the Routing Table that sits rather inconspicuously in the back of Panini America HQ in the Product Development area.
It’s the central location for the color copies that will become tomorrow’s most collected cards only after they’ve been scrutinized by every key department in the company — Editorial, Prepress, Product Development, Design, Photography, Marketing and Production. Once any and all changes have been made internally, the routings are submitted to the appropriate leagues — in this case the NHL and NHLPA — for the final approval that will trigger their transformation from color copy to must-have card.
And what I saw on the Routing Table yesterday stopped me in my skates — in-progress images of the sweet base set for 2011-12 Prime Hockey and the first images anywhere of a few must-see inserts coming to 2011-12 Dominion Hockey. Yes, Dominion Hockey.
In honor of tonight’s 2012 Stanley Cup Finals Game 2 between the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils, we provide the following gallery, a tip-of-the-iceberg peek into the two high-end heavyweights that will cap Panini America’s 2011-12 NHL season with a bang.
Keep in mind that what you’re about to see is extremely early in the creative process and is subject to change between now and release. Additionally, some elements on the routings — such as the presence of foil, the insertion of memorabilia or the addition of an autograph — simply won’t show up on flat paper copies. But the gallery will give you a good idea of what to expect.
Enjoy this sneak peek and stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for more revealing looks at both of these products in the near future.
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