Rev-Up Your Vehicle Wraps [The Smart Way]
The expert’s guide to boosting ROI on your next fleet vehicle branding project
Go big or go home is certainly one way to approach vehicle wraps. After all, covering your company’s fleet of Teslas in bumper-to-bumper cheetah print would likely garner some attention (might also defeat the purpose of those stealth vehicles but hey, whatever you like!).
Here’s where Thysse’s vehicle graphics guru lets you in on a little secret:
“Vehicle wraps don’t have to involve over-the-top designs, obscene spending, or even cover your whole vehicle to turn heads on the road.”
Director of Specialty Graphics/All-around Cool Guy, Jim Hagen
Instead, making some intelligent design decisions upfront, and choosing your install partner wisely, can produce an impressive final result without going pedal to the metal with your budget. First up, consider how much coverage you really need from your wrap.
First off, realize that you do have a gamut of wrap coverage options. However given that the nature of this article is to serve as a ‘smart’ guide we’re choosing to focus on one in particular. Whether you’re a first-timer, or looking to refresh your current vehicle wraps, our team is particularly partial to, well – partials. In fact, we often recommend partial wraps to our customers over full wraps. Why? For starters, partial wraps can:
- Make a BIG impact: If done right, partial wraps can actually look like a full wrap, creating the illusion that the entire vehicle has been covered in vinyl. You’ll look like you’ve spent a fortune on your fleet when in reality you just had a smart design created and applied by experts. By the way, we’re available.
- Increase ROI: Since you’re only covering part of the vehicle, partial wraps tend to result in significant cost savings. This will be especially worth considering if you’re looking at installing graphics on an entire fleet.
Next up on our list, is to consider where (and how) each component of your design should be placed on the vehicle to make the biggest impact. Unlike a billboard, your vehicle graphics are only seen from one angle at a time. Consider placing any text on the back of the vehicle where it is more likely to be read.
“Always put the business card on the back,” says Jim.
Drivers parked behind you at a stoplight or in rush hour traffic will have plenty of time to absorb your messaging – even scan a QR code. Text to consider including in your design are things like your:
- Business’s name
- Contact information
- Social media icons
- Bullet points describing what your business offers
The sides and the flat hood of your vehicle, on the other hand, are prime real estate for things like beautiful color graphics. The sides may also make a good home for a quippy slogan or tagline. However, choosing your design components and getting them in the right spot is only half the battle.
Our last placement tip is to consider how the design “transitions” from sides to back, or back to sides.
“Many designers haven’t had to design in 3D. They think flat, and not how the stripe or design would transition from one side to the other,” says Jim.
At Thysse, we design and install our vehicle graphics with seamless transitions in mind. So in those really cool three-quarter angle photos with the wheel slightly turned [think Fast & Furious photoshoot] the design appears continuous and flows as it should.
Feeling smart yet?! Because number three on our list, incorporating trends, should be used wisely. While there is never a shortage of flashy fads cycling through the vehicle graphics industry, incorporating them into your design randomly (or for the sake of achieving the ‘wow’ factor) isn’t recommended. Keep in mind that any trends you choose to include in your wrap should still reflect your brand.
That said, trends like reflective films, camouflage, unique textures (embossed vinyl), and green materials are all things to consider when thinking about your wrap design. Reflective pops are a surprisingly affordable way to increase safety and attract extra attention. According to the ATA, reflective films garner 14 million impressions annually, compared to 10 million when traditional fleet graphics are used.
A trend that will likely never go out of style is incorporating compelling, professional-looking graphics in your wrap design. Choosing a partner capable of producing complex, high-resolution images is – in addition to partial wraps – another relatively-easy way to make a simple job look incredible. All trends considered, paying attention to other vehicle wraps on the road, what you like (and dislike) is a great place to start in deciding which to incorporate.
Sorry, we can’t help with your marriage. However choosing the right partner to install your vehicle graphics is critical if an impressive, long-lasting wrap is what you seek. We’ve already waxed poetic about why things like expert color management are so important for a brand. Moreover, your vehicle graphics provider should serve as an extension of your loyal brand police. An experienced installer/designer can create an exact rendering of your brand’s visual assets using the latest tools and technology – such as the Pantone Matching System.
“It takes experience and skill to maintain brand integrity on a vehicle wrap. Our team is really good at making a brand look good and consistent on every surface.”
Jim Hagen, Director of Specialty Graphics
At Thysse, our vehicle graphics team is constantly evaluating the quality of our materials based on what else is available in the market. Testing new substrate samples to see how they perform, how they stretch, tolerate heat, hold color, and how they conform to the peaks and curves of a vehicle is a regular part of the job. The mom-and-pop shop down the road may be able to offer the lowest price, but a full-service brand experience provider like Thysse has the staff and experience to not only expertly install your graphics, but to ensure the integrity of your brand. Yay! We’re great!
Technical expertise aside, Thysse’s vehicle graphics team understands that your vehicle wraps are more than just choosing the right materials and design.
“When an employee gets assigned a new vehicle – it’s a big deal. Our team realizes that new vehicle graphics are like an unveiling. We want to make sure it’s special, and that the wrap looks just right.”
Jim Hagen, Director of Specialty Graphics
From higher resolution images to increasingly attractive, durable, and inexpensive materials, there’s never been a better time to consider getting a wrap! For more information on Thysse’s vehicle graphics services, motor on over to our main page to explore on your own. Or, if you’d just like to talk shop with Jim, drop us a line here.
