People take notice when employees of Excel Interior Concepts & Construction drive around town. The company's newest truck is literally a moving billboard for the Lemoyne, Pa., firm. The box truck features a vinyl stick-on that wraps around the vehicle, stretching across the front, back, and sides. The ad includes three digital images of the company's work: an addition, a kitchen remodel, and a bathroom remodel. Plus, the firm's contact information — Web site, e-mail, phone number, and logo — is integrated into the artistic design. “It's just beautiful,” says Heather Kotalik, Excel Interior Concepts & Construction's office manager. “It's really eye-catching when you see [the truck] coming down the road.”
Once reserved for city buses and radio station promo vehicles, wraparound advertising is becoming a popular substitute for stationary billboard advertising, which can cost $500 to $2,500 a month. Affordable printing techniques and improved technology have made it possible even for smaller businesses to take advantage of this unique advertising avenue.
For Excel, the idea came about when the company purchased a new truck. Rather than just adding the company's logo, an advertising consultant suggested a vehicle wraparound. The 326-foot stick-on cost about $4,000, including design, printing, and installation. The cover is also UV-protected and scratch-resistant. “We think it's worth the price,” Kotalik says. “Our clients are amazed.”
The wraps, which can last up to five years if properly cared for, can be removed without damaging a vehicle's surface.
The company already has plans under way to install the vinyl ads on its entire fleet, including two vans and another truck. “It's a great marketing tool, but it also has aesthetics,” Kotalik says.
