To answer the question what info should my vehicle wrap include we need to know how the vehicle will be used? Is it a business or a non-profit? Are you advertising to promote a brand, share a call to action, or both? An example of a call to action is this School on Wheels full wrap. The Toyota was a raffle prize. The vehicle was displayed prominently at local events before being raffled. It was successful in promoting both the charity’s brand, and their call to action. 

What Successful Vehicle Wraps for Business Share

Organization Name and Logo

This may sound like a no-brainer, but it needs to stand out. It should usually be a larger font than any other text on the wrap, and in contrast to the background. The logo should be the same logo for all advertising — print, media, or TV.

FAIL — Not long ago, I saw a black vehicle with a dark blue logo. It was hard to see standing next to it, let alone, driving down the highway.

Phone Number and Web address

Again, the first consideration should be how easy they are to read, not how pretty they are. Stick with standard readable fonts and colors that are easy to see against the background.

FAIL — I’ve seen several web addresses using a script font; now was that an “A” or an “O”?

Products and Services

Stick with your primary products or new services you’re promoting. Don’t overdo it. At most, list two or three services.

FAIL — I saw a heating and air service van listing what must have been every service they offered. At best, it was confusing.

Social Media Icons

If you’re on social media, let the public know. More and more prospects use social media to search for products and services.

FAIL — While it’s often advisable to place social media handles or usernames on mediums like print or web, they’re typically too small to be usable on vehicles usually moving past prospects, and they make the design more cluttered. It’s best to use social media icons only, and definitely don’t display full URLs.

Design, Artwork, and Background

The purpose is to enhance the branding and call to action, not compete with or detract from it. In an effective vehicle wrap the message shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the artwork. The priority for a business is to share the message. This is advertising. It’s not a personal vehicle where artwork and design may come first.

FAIL — Everyday, everywhere I go, I see company vehicles where the message is lost in the design.

Slogans

Your company’s slogan is good and probably should be used if they’re a part of your advertising campaigns, but be careful. The slogan shouldn’t be the focus. Think about it – what do you want the prospect to retain – your name and contact information, or your slogan only?

FAIL — I’ve seen wraps with the slogan as the predominate feature. Let’s hope prospects remember whose slogan it is.

Design Hierarchy

Another point of consideration is what are the primary and secondary messages your organization wants to deliver. What do you want to stand out? “Before setting vehicle graphic design hierarchy in order, an organization must consider what messages take precedence, what is the hierarchy of your messages? What do you want to communicate and what do you want people to understand about your business. Consider the following and create a hierarchy from this list.” — Vehicle Graphic Design Hierarchy

“So, here’s the point, yes, less is more in vehicle graphic design, which means you need to know the message you want to send. Is it your 24-hour service, time in business, your contact information, brand, or logo? Could you use your brand colors and fonts to promote a call to action? Is there a special offer you want to advertise? Whatever it is you only have a few seconds to get your message across, so don’t clutter it with unneeded graphics. Because in vehicle graphic design less is more.” — Less is More in Vehicle Graphic Design

You Are Part of the Design Team 

You and your business are part of the design team, The team creating your fleet graphics needs your input. They want to know your message, who your target audience is and your brand compliances. ” Vehicle graphic design is an art and a science, and vehicle graphic designers are artists as well as scientist. Vehicle graphic design is the art of sharing a singular message and making it stand out from thousands of others. And it’s the science of sculpting a three-dimensional image to the exact specifications of a vehicle without losing the message.  The designer is only part of the equation for creating an artistic and scientific vehicle graphic. The customer has a lot to do with it as well.” — 5 Things Vehicle Graphic Designers Want You to Know to Make Your Life Easier

Be Sure the Designer has the Information They Need

So, what information does the designer need to know about my vehicle? “The easy answer to what does a vehicle graphic designer need to know about your vehicle before she or he begins the vehicle graphics design process is – everything! But that’s not true, they don’t need to know the size of the motor, the color of the interior, or your favorite radio station but they pretty much need to know everything about the exterior of the vehicle from top to bottom.

This includes the make, model, color, options, and add-on equipment of the car or truck. One of the best ways to help a graphic designer serve you and meet your needs, as well as your expectations, is to furnish the designer with accurate and complete specifications in a timely manner.

For example, to say you have a 2018 Ford F150 isn’t enough information. The F150 is available in at least a dozen packages from XL, XLT, and Lariat to the Platinum. They’re available in regular cab, extended cab, two-door, four-door, and with multiple options. One graphic design will not fit all the variations of the 2018 F150.” — FAQ: What Does a Vehicle Graphic Designer Need to Know About My Vehicle?

So, What Info Should My Vehicle Wrap Include?

The key to a successful company vehicle wrap is for the message to be the focal point of the design. Whether it’s a call to action or branding – the company name, logo, and contact information should be the primary focus. If you’d like more information about “How to drive your brand message home,” we’d be happy to put it in focus for you.

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