Designing an effective vehicle wrap is critical if you want to make the biggest impact when driving around town.
An effective vehicle wrap is one that can instantly convey your message at a glance and compels people to jot down your info or remember your brand.
There are two ways to go about designing a wrap. You could hire a professional or do it yourself. If you’re more the DIY type, then there are a few basic design tips that you should take into consideration.
1. Your Brand
One of the main reasons marketing fails is because the company has a weak brand or logo. Having your company name written in a fancy font isn’t as noticeable or memorable as having a professionally designed brand.
While you can have the name of your business written in vinyl letters across your car, you would make a much more significant impact if you had a logo or brand to go along with it.
For example, if you’re a plumber and you have a cartoon picture of an animated toilet plunger (complete with googly eyeballs and smiling face), people are going to remember you the next time they need the services of a plumber. Whereas if you have “Mike Smith - Plumber (555) 555-1212,” on the side of your van – it just won’t be as memorable.
2. Keep It Simple
The average person barely has two seconds to view your van or car as you’re driving down the street or sitting in traffic. Forcing them to try to make heads or tails of a pretty, yet complicated design will only serve to confuse them.
Keep the design simple and keep the text to a bare minimum. Your name, what you do, a call-to-action, and a way to contact you (phone, text, email, Facebook, etc.) works great.
Don’t add bullet lists or customer testimonials or anything of the sort. You’ll only wind up turning off or confusing people.
3. Limit Photos
Adding photos to a wrap can cause a bit of spirited debate amongst graphic designers. Some feel that photos work great, others think they detract from your brand.
For example: If you’re a roofing company and you put a picture of a house on the vehicle wrap of your company van, can people instantly tell what it is that you do?
- Are you a construction company?
- Are you a window installer?
- Are you a siding company?
Ambiguous images have no place on a vehicle wrap. You need to convey who you are, what you do, why people should contact you, and your contact info within two seconds or less. Adding additional images might look pretty, but people aren’t going to take the time to decipher the message.
4. The Three “W’s”
At the core of any effective advertising copy should be the three W’s:
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- Where can I find you when I need your services?
If you answer those three questions effectively, your message is on-point. If you can think of a way that they can quickly get your information onto their cell phone – even better.
For example, you could use a QR code which would allow people to take a picture of the side of your car or van and then be directed to your website. You can add a lead gen magnet or form that will capture lead information.
5. Avoid Unnecessary Design Elements
Some people might tell you that the purpose of a vehicle wrap is to stand out from the crowd. This is true to some extent. The problem arises when people start adding unnecessary design elements which take away from the overall message they’re trying to convey.
- Tribal flames
- Fancy lines
- Carbon Fiber
- Chrome
All of the above will detract from your design and make it seem too busy. There is a time and place for flames, lines and carbon fiber. For example, if you own a company that caters to the younger demographic, fancy lines and flames might work. But if you’re a plumber, dog groomer, or real estate agent, it will make your design stand out in all the wrong ways.
Vehicle Wraps in New Bern
If you’re having difficulty coming up with a design for your vehicle wrap, let AlphaGraphics help you transform your car, truck, or van into a compelling and persuasive rolling billboard for your business. View our vehicle wrap gallery of Facebook.
We can both design and wrap your vehicle and have it turning heads and driving new business. To learn more about how AlphaGraphics of New Bern can produce and design your next project, you may
email us,
request a quote or call us at
(252) 633-3199.