So, what are the biggest vehicle graphics mistakes? Here are six of the biggest vehicle graphics mistakes your business can make. However, most of them can be combined, which makes matters even worse. Please read carefully because these mistakes can cost your business money, time, and prestige.   

What Are the Biggest Vehicle Graphics Mistakes? 

TMI — Too Much Information

So, what are the biggest vehicle graphics mistakes? TMI tops the list. Trying to share too much information is one of the top mistakes made when designing vehicle graphics. For example, multiple logos, you probably don’t need the logo for every product you offer on your vehicle. You’re not NASCAR, and sponsors aren’t paying you to advertise. More importantly, your logo, which should quickly identify your brand, can be easily lost in the confusion of too many brands.

Another mistake is listing too many services. Remember, this is a car or truck, not a brochure, and you only have seconds to capture your prospect’s attention.

Too many images is another branding killer, such as a heating and cooling company with a design sharing furnace and A/C images, that asks “Oh, by the way, we do plumbing, so could we add a sink, a drain, and a pipe wrench?”

Using multiple slogans may seem like a good idea, but the most probable outcome is a muddied message. It’s usually best to stick with one slogan.

Vehicle Graphic Design Hierarchy is the placement of design elements by importance based on how the human eye takes in visual content. Vehicle graphic design hierarchy is unlike any other design hierarchy in that most design isn’t moving down the highway at 55 MPH, at least we hope it isn’t. 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? When you ask what are the biggest vehicle graphics mistakes know that sharing too much information is one of the easiest mistakes your business can make. 

Being Off Message

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. So, what are the biggest vehicle graphics mistakes? Sending the wrong message is an all to common blunder. 

When designing graphics for a moving vehicle less is more. Short and sweet, simple and to the point are the keys to creating a vehicle graphic that does its job. And what’s that job? Its job is to capture people’s attention and then share a message. Too much information, too many words, multiple images, and distracting colors take away from the task at hand.  KISS — “keep it simple stupid.” With the advent of digital printers, modern vinyl adhesives, and state of the art inks, there’s a tendency to overdo it.

Not Building a Unified Brand

Your vehicle should be part of your marketing plan, not a stand-alone. For example, Companies like Red Gold understand this; their 53-foot semi-trailers reflect their product branding. There’s no mistaking who they are or their message.

Advertising on vehicle graphics is no different in principle than any other form of advertising. Once a strong brand identity has been determined, it must remain consistent, and not only from vehicle to vehicle but all other media as well.

Using the Wrong Colors

We’re often asked, What Color Should I Wrap My business Vehicle? However, when choosing colors for your vehicle graphics, it may not be what color, but how colors of both the vehicle and your graphics contrast. Using poorly contrasted colors reduces the impact of vehicle advertising. Poorly chosen hues, designs that hide the message, and colors that don’t match your brand waste your marketing dollars. One should first consider the brand, logo, and vehicle colors.

The wrong color can destroy your message. For example, yellow letters on a white truck or dark blue on black will be difficult, if not impossible, to read.

Using Hard to Read Fonts 

Hard to read fonts like a script or Comic Sans diminish readability, and are typically unprofessional looking. Any combination of font style, size, and color can and will affect the readability of vehicle graphics. Because, the key to effective fleet graphic design is combining appearance with legibility. There are too many designs, which although visually striking, are difficult to decipher, which detracts from the purpose of vehicle advertising.

Have you ever seen fonts on fleet graphics that were too small to read? Too often the font size is chosen as if the vehicle is sitting still. What’s the best font size for your fleet graphics? The best answer is to ask an experienced vehicle graphic designer.

Not Advertising on Your Fleet Vehicles 

Vehicle graphics are more than identification. If your vehicles only share the name of your business and phone number you’re missing a golden opportunity. And worse yet are the the business fleets with no information at all. Yesterday, I sat for 20 minutes in our conference room and watched traffic on the busy 4-lane street below. I was amazed that nearly one-half of the fleet vehicles that passed had no information. They were blank canvases

Why Haven’t You Wrapped Your Company Vehicles? You know you should every time you see a competitor’s wrapped vehicle on the road. And how often is that? Fleets are rolling billboards. They’re one of the most effective forms of advertising, and every business vehicle without graphics loses this opportunity.

What Are the Biggest Vehicle Graphics Mistakes?

What are the biggest vehicle graphics mistakes? Too much information, poor color use, indecipherable fonts, and a lack of brand unification all can destroy a vehicle graphics purpose, which is to deliver a message. Many of the biggest vehicle graphics mistakes involve over-complicating the message. When branding your vehicles with graphics, the best thing you can do is … keep it simple.

If you’d like to learn more, Contact Us, we’ll help you stick to the basics. We know what are the biggest vehicle graphics mistakes and can help you avoid them.