The Newest Advertising Trend in Fredericksburg

Next time your driving around Fredericksburg, take note of how many wildly decorated cars and trucks you see.  The majority of these vehicles are not painted; instead they have what is called a wrap.  This is the process of taking a specialty printed vinyl and applying it to a vehicle.  This technology has come a long way in recent years and the majority of the vehicles you see today did not have wraps just two years ago.

You may ask yourself, “Why would a business pay a few thousand dollars to cover a vehicle?”  The answer is simple math. A well placed vehicle can have as many visual hits as a large billboard, but you're going pay much less for the same thing with a wrap. 

A billboard can cost between $2,000 to $4,000 per month. What you would pay for one month with a billboard you can wrap a vehicle, and it is going to last you five years. 

Wraps provide other things that a billboard can’t, such as a great first impression, brand recognition around town, instant legitimacy, mobility and people coming up to you at gas stations to asking for a business card.

If you decide to get a wrap make sure you look for the following when choosing a company:

1)   Use a shop that designs, prints and installs at the same location.  There are many companies who outsource one or two of these necessary components.  With outsourcing, if there is a mistake in the design or print it can cause the company to hold onto your vehicle for many days longer than expected.  Wraps also need to be done indoors with a climate-controlled environment.

2)   Make sure they are using 3M Control Tac or Oracal vinyl.  You're going to pay more for the 3M, but it looks better after application.

3)   Having an experienced designer and installer is key to making sure you get the product you want.  There are a lot of designers, but only a few have experience in designing wraps.  The lines and curves of many cars are not forgiving to inexperienced designers and installers.

4)   Less is more! Use images and less text to get your point across quickly and effectively. 

If you can’t afford a wrap you still have options.  You can wrap part of your vehicle or do lettering instead.  Every business should take advantage of their mobile billboard. 

If you have any questions about wraps, please contact the SignsForAnything.com team at 540-376-7006 or e-mail chris@signsforanything.com.