Vehicle Wrapping
A New Form of Advertisement
Vehicle wrapping is becoming a much more popular form of advertising as it is extremely cost efficient. The fees associated with advertising can be large and vary. If you were to run a commercial you would need to have finds to shoot the commercial, determine the costs based on how frequently you want your commercial to run, at what time slots you want it to run etc. Commercials were once the best type of advertising but with an increase in digital recording many individuals just skip or fast forward through the commercials.
A vehicle wrap is a great way to get your advertising seen by many individuals as everyone views many cars every day. What better way to advertise then to have it move and reach many new people continuously. Your vehicle wrap will also draw the eye, as individuals tend to notice different cars, so the advertising is more likely to be read. It has been found that over 91% of people notice writing on cars and trucks. Many business owners have discovered that they receive instant feedback when they use vehicle wrapping as advertising and have been pleased with the results.
Wraps have become more popular due to advancements and the development of new types of vinyl, such as products that prevent bubbles and adding microscopic beads that prevent adhesion until squeezed down. The vinyl can then be lifted and reapplied as necessary which is critical for vehicle wrapping. You can have decals added to the sides and windows of vehicles. Most wraps come in different sections so that each movable part of the car like the doors can be effectively and properly covered.
Vehicles that have large surfaces such as buses and light rail carriages are perfect for wrapping and fairly easy to have the wrapping applied. The advertising can be easily changed when desired and you will not have to spend large amounts of money on complicated designs. Though certain vehicles are easier to wrap then others it can be applied to any vehicle, the price will probably vary depending on the vehicle.
Types of Vehicle Wrapping
Vehicle wrapping can be done on any type of vehicles including, trucks, cars, vans, sport bikes, motorcycles, semi-trucks, scions, and boats. The size of the wrap is also optional as you can get a full vehicle wrap or only a partial wrap, about 1/4th of your vehicle. The average cost for vehicle wrapping runs between $10 to $15 per square foot and then you can include any design fee. It should take about a day to have your vehicle completely wrapped. It is also possible to receive financing on vehicle wraps as the cost of a large wrap job can be spread out over a few years.
Designing for vehicle wraps is quite different from other types of sign design such as banners and flat graphics. To receive a great design the company should have your cars size and features listed in order to create an outstanding design. Vehicle wrapping companies should learn how to use templates as this can save a lot of time if they do many reprints but for a variety of different cars. Auto libraries are great tools as they contain vendor images of vehicles so the company can have some pre-designed wraps available for customers. The measurements of the vehicle are important so important text does not appear on inappropriate places like the door handle.
Your vehicle wrap should not have too many color combinations or words as the point of the advertising can be missed and viewers will not notice the marketing message. Designing a bold statement is one of the biggest challenges for any vehicle-wrapping designer. It is important to keep the message statement simple, as the customer will have only a few seconds to read the message. It helps to think of this as branded media instead of message media. Many times one-dimension designs do not work well on a three-dimension car so be flexible with your designs.
Preparing the Vehicle
Before the vehicle can be wrapped it needs to be properly prepared. The outside of the car needs to be cleaned and the substrate that is being used to apply the wrap should be prepared beforehand. If the vehicle is not clean then the adhesion may not take. All of the dirt needs to be out of the contours and groves of the car. If your vehicle is particularly dirty with oil, wax, and grease then it may need to be scrubbed with a solvent and then gently wiped with a lint free cloth. Lophoryl alcohol tends to do a good job as it removes dirt without damaging the paint.
Once the car is clean it needs to be completely dry and this can take up to and/or exceed 24 hours. Cold and humid weather may take even longer. Cold and humid temperatures also tend to cause problems when applying the wrap so you may want to wait for a warm, dry day to ensure that there are no problems
Should You Use Vehicle Wrapping?
Vehicle wrapping is a great advertising tool and with the advances in graphics is becoming the most cost efficient method of advertisement running today. To determine if you should consider vehicle wrapping you should count the number of requests you receive in a month. If you have a low amount of requests then you should consider using vehicle wrapping. Using vehicle wrapping effectively increases your business and help turn a profit.
For more information about Vehicle wrapping, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrap_advertising
Issues with Wrapping
There are a few issues that occur with vehicle wrapping with the most obvious being a reduction of visibility. Vehicle wraps do come with perforations so that passengers can see out, but windshields and side mirrors should never be covered as this goes against driving regulations. Additionally you need to check the law in your area to determine if mobile advertising is legal. New York City does not allow mobile advertising as it is thought to increase congestion. In these areas ad bikes and other forms of non-mobile advertising are acceptable.
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