Going viral with vehicle graphics, is that a thing? Isn’t going viral all about being online? You know, like being seen on Tik Tok, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube a million times. So, how is it possible for vehicle graphics to go viral? It doesn’t sound plausible because vehicle graphics aren’t online – they’re on the street. The answer is fleet vehicle graphics can go viral but it might not be how you think of going viral.
Let me give you an example. We’ve all seen silly, fun, and inspirational videos of delivery drivers on customer’s porches, and in the background of every one of these videos is the delivery truck. And every delivery truck has branded vehicle graphics. As long as it’s not one of those videos where the driver is throwing packages over the fence, this viral video is great advertising. Going viral with vehicle graphics is a good thing.
Going Viral with Vehicle Graphics
1. Do Good Things
Here at TKO Graphix, we work with hundreds of trucking companies. The trucking industry and truckers do a lot of good things. Whenever there’s a national disaster, you can count on truckers to respond. Whether a hurricane ravished city needs water and supplies, or people need vaccines, truckers are there. And time after time, people take photos and videos of these trucks making their life-saving deliveries.
2. Make it Easy to Share
FedEx is an excellent example of making it easy to share. They share images of their trucks and planes on social media. It might be a special delivery of vaccines to Canada or water to California. Regardless, they make it easy for others to share their vehicles in action.
Share images of your company fleet graphics on your website and social media, use hashtags, and reshare photos and videos that customers post.
3. Remember that Everybody has a Phone
In today’s world everyone can snap a photo or shoot a short video of your vehicle graphics, so it’s essential to train your drivers to do the right thing. And that’s not only following traffic rules and being a courteous driver, but it also means giving your teammates the leeway to do good things. See number one.
4. Create Memorable Vehicle Graphics
A company vehicle with your name, phone number, and a two-inch logo on the driver’s door is probably not going to go viral. The graphics should match your brand, be easy to read, and be big enough to make an impact. Often simple vehicle graphics are the best. Think about the videos I mentioned of delivery drivers with their trucks in the background. Most of the trucks don’t have fancy graphics with multiple images. They have large branded vehicle graphics that match the company’s fonts, colors, and logos. People know who they are with one glance.
5. Use Humor in Your Design
It goes without saying that humor should always be appropriate. One of my favorite viral vehicle graphics from a few years ago was an urban delivery box truck with “Don’t Jump” on the top of the truck. Did you ever see the city bus advertising the Zoo with a snake wrapped around it? Or the 53-foot trailer that looked like three Rubik’s cubes or another that looked like a bookshelf? These and many others went viral.
6. Share a Positive Call to Action
My favorite example of this is from IMTA. The 53-foot trailer sends a message. The trailer has an oblique outline of a phone with the tagline. “PUT THE PHONE DOWN.” I don’t know of a more precise way to come to the point. Next, we see the logos of almost 50 sponsors, including TKO Graphix. Then across the bottom of the trailer is another simple message, “Together, we can keep our roads safer. Will you join us?”
The call to action included a PUT THE PHONE DOWN license plate from the Indiana BMV. They sold nearly 4,000 license plates, and the next session of the Indiana House passed legislation making distracted driving an offense. It wasn’t all because the IMTA trucking message went viral, but it certainly made an impact.
Why Going Viral with Vehicle Graphics Is a Good Thing
Why should your business care about going viral with vehicle graphics? Because viral vehicle graphics add to your brand, bring in new customers, and help create customer loyalty. And even if your fleet graphics don’t go viral, if you work at making your fleet graphics more attractive, they’ll make a more significant impression than a name and logo on your work truck door.
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TKO Graphix is a national fleet and vehicle graphics company helping customers since 1985. We provide full-service graphic design, digital printing, screen printing, graphics installation, and removal of large format graphics.
We’ve been helping businesses, large and small, brand their fleet of tractor-trailers, work trucks, and company vehicles. Whether you have a fleet of thousands or a few vehicles, we are here to lead you through the vehicle branding process.
TKO Graphix is proud to be a 3M™ MCS™ Warranty graphics manufacturer. We employ the largest 3M Certified installation crew in the country. If you’d like to learn more and get a free quote, contact us today.
