Welcome to the fast lane of innovative business signage!
Buckle up as we guide you through the essentials of effective vehicle marketing.
Vehicle wraps have a 97% message recall rate, and just one wrapped car, truck, or van can generate 12 million views per year. This is why over 90% of business owners who utilized vehicle wraps said they were the most effective form of local advertising. Tanya Klien, CEO of Anta Plumbing, is one of those business owners.
“We increased our business by about 20% since using vehicle wraps, fleet wraps, and back-window decals. People remember our logo, slogan, and colors. That’s where the biggest benefit lies: people don't necessarily call us because they saw a wrapped vehicle or window sticker; they remember us because they see our branding so often that our business comes to mind first when they need our service,” said Klien.
Ready to rev up and accelerate brand awareness for your business?
Here’s everything you need to know to boost your brand with vinyl vehicle wraps, including:
- Full vinyl vehicle wrap for maximum brand visibility.
- Partial vehicle wraps for flexible and effective branding.
- Vehicle lettering, spot decals, vinyl graphics, and magnets for subtle branding.
- Vehicle wrap FAQs.
Full Vinyl Vehicle Wrap for Maximum Brand Visibility
A full vehicle vinyl wrap typically covers every part of a vehicle’s painted areas, including the hood, doors, and sides.
Full wraps can even extend to the windows using perforated vinyl for maximum branding. Perforated vinyl has small, evenly spaced holes throughout its surface, similar to mesh. These holes, also known as perforations, allow printed designs to show vividly on one side of the vinyl while permitting light and visibility through the other.
This type of full-coverage wrap transforms a vehicle into mobile outdoor signage that provides maximum brand visibility. For this reason, full wraps are ideal for businesses with cars, trucks, or vans that are frequently on the road–such as HVAC repair businesses, mobile groomers, food trucks, and delivery services like Green Bin.
“We knew the Green Bin van would be on the road frequently, so we decided to do a full vinyl van wrap to build awareness about our service. We get compliments on our van all of the time, and it has definitely helped grow our business,” said Jeremiah and Natalie Rosenthal, founders of Green Bin.
The high visibility and brand recall of vehicle wraps have even sparked the latest trend in advertising, known as swarming, where businesses deploy a fleet of branded vehicles to “swarm” the area surrounding major sporting events, such as the Super Bowl.
However, if a full vehicle wrap is too much horsepower for your business needs, don't worry. The world of vehicle marketing is rich with versatile and customizable options.
Partial Vehicle Wraps for Effective and Flexible Branding
While a full vehicle wrap covers the entire exterior of a vehicle, a partial vehicle wrap covers between 25% and 75% of the vehicle. Partial vehicle wraps are typically applied to a vehicle's sides, rear, hood, or back. 
It’s important to note that the vehicle's original color will be visible with a partial wrap. For this reason, partial wraps are well-suited for vehicles that are white, neutral, or company-branded colors.
Since partial wraps are more affordable and faster to install than full wraps, they work well for businesses that want to test or switch out the design.
If a full or partial vinyl vehicle wrap is still more coverage than you’re looking for, there are more subtle ways to add branding to your vehicle.
Vehicle Lettering, Spot Decals, Vinyl Graphics, and Magnets for Subtle Branding
While vehicle wraps offer a complete transformation with extensive coverage, some businesses prefer more subtle and focused branding. This is where vehicle lettering, spot decals, and vinyl graphics can achieve the perfect amount of business signage and branding. They can also be combined with other vinyl applications, including full and partial wraps, for businesses that want to add temporary or seasonal messaging to the vehicle. 
Vehicle lettering is the application of individual letters, numbers, or characters to display a company's name, contact information, and services offered. They are a straightforward, no-frills solution for businesses that want their vehicles to have a professional appearance without elaborate colors or graphics.
Spot decals are a popular choice for small businesses who want to add a company logo and/or small graphics to a specific spot on the vehicle, such as the hood, door, or window (hence the term “spot decal”).
Vinyl graphics offer a middle-ground solution between minimalistic spot decals and vehicle wraps. They allow for more elaborate designs, larger text, bigger logos, and more detailed images than spot decals.
It’s important to note that the design cannot be reused once a vinyl wrap, lettering, graphic, or decal is removed from a vehicle. If you’re looking for a reusable vehicle branding solution, a vehicle magnet is the way to go.
Vehicle magnets are a reusable option for vehicle branding that can be applied and removed over and over again. While vehicle magnets don’t have the adhesive power of the vinyl adhesive used in vehicle wraps, lettering, graphics, or decals, they are ideal for businesses that want to switch out their vehicle branding frequently or vehicles used for professional and personal purposes.
Vehicle Wrap FAQs
The most common question about vehicle wraps and other vinyl applications is: Will it damage the vehicle's paint?
The adhesive backing of vinyl film is designed to stay in place for extended periods without causing any damage to the paint when removed.
However, there is a risk of damage to the vehicle’s paint if:
- A low-quality vinyl film is used.
- The vinyl film is not applied correctly.
- The vinyl film is not removed from the vehicle within the manufacturer’s recommended time frame.
This is why it’s highly recommended to have vinyl wraps, lettering, graphics, and decals installed by a professional. A professional installer is equipped with the training, tools, and experience necessary to apply vinyl film flawlessly, avoiding common problems like wrinkling, air bubbles, misalignment, or damage to the vehicle's surface. Their expertise also ensures proper alignment and adhesion to the vehicle's contours, which is difficult to achieve without specialized training and tools.
Why is vinyl used for vehicle wraps?
Vinyl film is a thin, flexible material made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The surface of vinyl film can be printed on, allowing for custom designs, logos, and text. Vinyl film is designed for vehicle wraps and similar applications due to its durability and flexibility. It can withstand various environmental factors such as sunlight, rain, and temperature changes, making it suitable for outdoor use, especially when combined with a protective laminate overlay. Both the vinyl film and the protective laminate are extremely flexible and designed to conform to the contours and curves of the different parts of a vehicle.
Does vinyl film come in different finishes?
Vinyl film is available in various finishes, including glossy, matte, and even textured options.
What type of adhesive is used on vehicle wraps?
The vinyl film used for vehicle graphics like spot decals and larger vinyl graphics is a specialized product, distinct from other types of vinyl materials used in different industries. At Artisan Colour, we use high-quality 3M adhesive vinyl to keep your brand colors vibrant for years. While we do provide other options, durable 3M adhesive vinyl is often the best choice.
Boost Brand Awareness with Vehicle Wraps, Graphics, and Decals by Artisan Colour
Whether your business wants the maximum visibility of a full vinyl wrap or the targeted impact of vinyl graphics, Artisan Colour has the expertise and precision to drive your brand forward.
From design and material selection to printing and installation, our experts are here to create a custom solution for all your vehicle marketing needs, including:
- Full vinyl vehicle wraps.
- Partial vinyl vehicle wraps.
- Vehicle lettering.
- Vinyl graphics.
- Spot decals.
- Vehicle magnets
Contact our team of artisans today to learn how Artisan can help rev up brand awareness for your business.
