Pointless signwriting on vehicles

[wevet]

I look out of my window at a van. The name of the company is in black but the other signwriting is in pale yellow on a white van.

Signwriting on vehicles can be a very good marketing tool but it astonishes me just how many business people spend a lot of money doing this without thinking of what the effect will be.

Other than invisible signwriting my signwriting bug bears are:

• Just the business name nothing about what they do
• Who they are, what they do but no contact information
• So much information that the van is like a website (a little less is more!)
• The cliches for instance "You've tried the rest now try the best"
• Just how many fonts can you use on one van?

 

[Ashley_Price]

They fall in love with their own design, without taking into objective consideration how it will work in the real world.

I bet the owner of the "pale yellow on white van" wouldn't listen to the print firm, and now justifies it with something like "Well, people have to look closer to read it, so it will stick in their mind."

 

[Jason Mageehan]

my favourite sign written van was one I saw in Ilford - on the back it said:

"Patel & Patel Plumbers Ltd
You've tried the cowboys, now try the Indians"

That tickled me.

Worse one was a van labelled ISIS - which has probably been a company name for 20 years, but, I made sure I zoomed passed it - don't want to be in the blast zone!

 

[London Gary]

Haha! Nice observation - but isn't it the same with marketing wherever it appears?

Look at people's websites, brochures, company presentations. It's all cliches, self-promotion, too much information to know where to start - or too little to help the reader know what you're about.

I go weeks before I see a website or brochure that features subtle, powerful marketing messages that will grab attention and create a positive reaction in the mind of the reader. As you said, people spend money and time on words and images without, it seems, a second thought about the effect those words and images will have on the reader.

There's so much drivel - it drives me up the wall. And now - thanks to you - I'm going to start noticing it on the sides of vans too!

 

[Ashley_Price]

A local scaffolding firm: "The best erection in town"

A builders "We work 25 hours a day (we don't even stop for tea)"