-
Signs on your car
We recently fitted signs to the "company car"
Friends say "it’s too in your face and vulgar, it might even put some customers off " – I say It’s advertising.
What do you think?
Attachments:
-
51 Replies
-
I like it.
It is in your face, but still legible.
Not keen on the bonnet, I think it didn’t need anything.
I think the sides would have been oodles.
But as I said, I do like it.
Love…Jill -
Hi Phill – it is in your face, but people won’t forget it and that’s the point – its memorable.
I’ve got a signs on both mine and the wife’s cars – nothing big but it is noticeable.
Cheers John
-
Like it just don’t like the web / tel not sure if it’s where it’s located (but I can’t suggest anywhere better) or the size of the text.
If it wins new business then fair play splash it on big and bold!
-
For what it’s worth, I think it looks really good.
Because its on a car people tend to look twice!
Nice bit of advertising! 😉
-
looks good but as said the numbers look bad – doesnt look vulgar looks like an ad and im sure it will work well.
I did this to one of my cars and it looked great will post apic if i can find it!
-
Nothing against the design, I personally just don’t like cars being done unless it’s small and subtle, or a wacky car. It’s a personal preference but I feel it makes the company look smaller and like you’ve lettered up the family car.
It’s strange because I think this is more for signmakers than anyone else, just did a cracking 09 white fiesta for a hairdressers this week… maybe it’s if you feel the company should have a van then a car looks wrong?? Basically can’t justify it but it’s not for me 😀
-
I like it but for some reason I think it should have sloped the other way?
-
hey.. its great phill, i wouldn’t alter it… very powerful layout
-
looks good to me phil
I don’t have any problem with company cars being branded, wish more companies would do it, more work for us 😀 just alot of employed staff with company car would pull there nose up about it being lettered, they dont know how lucky they are at times.
if it brings in more work, its all good
paul
-
Looks good to me Phil.
Na it’s not too in your face and vulgar! its simply a great ad for your business.cheers
Ade
-
quote Gavin MacMillan:Nothing against the design, I personally just don’t like cars being done unless it’s small and subtle, or a wacky car. It’s a personal preference but I feel it makes the company look smaller and like you’ve lettered up the family car.It’s strange because I think this is more for signmakers than anyone else, just did a cracking 09 white fiesta for a hairdressers this week… maybe it’s if you feel the company should have a van then a car looks wrong?? Basically can’t justify it but it’s not for me 😀
I agree with Gavin
Looking at the photo, the van looks totally professional and a great advert but for me the car doesn’t so much
I prefer smaller and more subtle and my preference would have been to have the logo on the front door and the phone number and web on the back
-
Looks good mate. Does the job. 😉
-
quote Paul Humble:I like it but for some reason I think it should have sloped the other way?Definitely not, has to slope up.
Looks good Phill but I think you could lose the phone number and use a better font for the web address. Don’t forget to tell your insurance company, you may get a discount on your premiums.
-
Looks cool Phil
Personal pref: wouldn’t have done the bonnet
Its all advertising
I see more and more cars being signed these days -
quote Glenn Sharp:quote Gavin MacMillan:Nothing against the design, I personally just don’t like cars being done unless it’s small and subtle, or a wacky car. It’s a personal preference but I feel it makes the company look smaller and like you’ve lettered up the family car.It’s strange because I think this is more for signmakers than anyone else, just did a cracking 09 white fiesta for a hairdressers this week… maybe it’s if you feel the company should have a van then a car looks wrong?? Basically can’t justify it but it’s not for me 😀
I agree with Gavin
Looking at the photo, the van looks totally professional and a great advert but for me the car doesn’t so much
I prefer smaller and more subtle and my preference would have been to have the logo on the front door and the phone number and web on the back
I have to agree with with Gavin and Glenn,
Prefer the more low key approach…..but it does get your name out there -
Like that too Phill…only prob is I wouldn’t be able to hide… 😀
-
I dont see a problem with stickering a car, a lot of corporates do it.
I am not sure if I like the design at an angle though, I would have been a bit conservative, and done it parallel to the ground. just my choice though.Peter
-
at the end of the day isn`t this what we do….signs on cars, if its good enough to sell then it`s good enough to use.
Looks great Phil, like it alot..
roffs
-
quote Roy Roffey:at the end of the day isn`t this what we do….signs on cars, if its good enough to sell then it`s good enough to use.
roffs
True!
-
Nothing ventured…….
Its a good logo you’ve got Phill, Let us know how it works.
-
I recon it looks good,
but I do agree with jillybeans about sides being enough.
better value than yellow pages.
-
I think it looks alright and as has already been said we are signmakers and it’s what we do.
I can understand what Gavin is saying about making the Company look smaller and would agree it might give this sort of image if it were the only vehicle that PHill owned but with having a van with very good advertising on it as well and the fact that most people who will see the car will have probably seen the van at some point rules that out IMO.
Phill also has a website showing the industrial unit they work from along with his range of services so anyone wanting more info on the company will find them to be a professional looking outfit if nothing else :lol1:
-
Looks good and catches the eye Phil. The only cars we seem to do are taxi’s or youngsters in for custom stripes.
Hopefully this will encourage more business’s in your area to get their cars done.
-
quote Gavin MacMillan:I feel it makes the company look smaller and like you’ve lettered up the family car.
😀
Gavin why does having two vehicles sign written make the company look smaller? You mean if only the car is seen – not sure where Phil lives but feel most folk would see both at some point and think the company is actually larger than it is.
If only the car is seen – I think the same anyway – the first thing I would think would be there’s a company who’s switched on and understands the value in advertising and that’s the type of company you would want doing your signs for you. If I see any car sign written I think I would always assume it was a second vehicle unless it was a hairdresser or something like that. I think I would always feel that it was a company that were keen and doing well and doing well.
We had my partners car signed and it got us business she was approached a few times so it does work, the folk enquiring re the car never assumed it was the only company vehicle.
Obviously everyone who sees a sign written car thinks something different but cant see any negative side as long as its well done.
-
for me the logo is just too big
I bet there isn’t much difference between the physical size of the logo on the van and the one on the car…..the van looks right but the car looks a bit clumsy
Obviously just my opinion but I’m surprised so many people like it because it seems to break the golden rule about negative space and balanced layout
sorry Phil….not trying to sound personal….just giving an honest opinion
-
quote Nigel Hindley:quote Gavin MacMillan:I feel it makes the company look smaller and like you’ve lettered up the family car.😀
Gavin why does having two vehicles sign written make the company look smaller? You mean if only the car is seen – not sure where Phil lives but feel most folk would see both at some point and think the company is actually larger than it is.
I think its down to the style of the vehicle and the perception it portrays. I also feel the car is not right and should have been done cleaner to make it look like a reps car rater than a "main" business vehicle. If all I saw was the car, then I too would think Phill operated using a car.
So, yes, personally I too think it looks good on the van, but OTT on the car……….
-
quote Glenn Sharp:it seems to break the golden rule about negative space and balanced layoutI should explain..
It’s entirely deliberate – It’s what Mike Stevens describes as a "Supergraphic" in his book "Mastering layout. Basically the graphic becomes so dominant it overpowers any other feature of the sign. In this case the graphic is bigger than the page and doesn’t quite fit within the edges. Natural layout rules do not apply and aren’t meant to apply in this instance
Just trying to explain the reason why I decided to make it so big – in fact it’s bigger then the one on the van. 😕
Thanks for all the feedback. It definitely polarises peoples opinions. They either love it or hate it.
-
would the public see it that way Phil or would they think…’there’s a signwriter that can’t even fit his logo on his own vehicle without it running off the bottom where you can’t read it’
I can understand the ‘supergraphic’ theory if it was part of a big bold letter or shape being cropped at the edges but I don’t get it if smaller letters are running off and getting lost
as you say though…..it’s all about opinions 😀
-
quote Phill:quote Glenn Sharp:it seems to break the golden rule about negative space and balanced layout
They either love it or hate it.
Marmite……..!!!!!
-
Having seen the car in the flesh rather than just a photo I think it works well Phill.
john
-
I like it and bold is usually what you need to get noticed if that’s the intention. Personally I think the logo works better on the car than the van as on the van it is so close against the black runner it looks more squashed, the car looks deliberate and anybody would realise that it’s a design feature and not a useless signmaker who can’t fit graphics straight 😕 :lol1:
-
quote Graeme Harrold:quote Nigel Hindley:quote Gavin MacMillan:I feel it makes the company look smaller and like you’ve lettered up the family car.
😀
Gavin why does having two vehicles sign written make the company look smaller? You mean if only the car is seen – not sure where Phil lives but feel most folk would see both at some point and think the company is actually larger than it is.
I think its down to the style of the vehicle and the perception it portrays. I also feel the car is not right and should have been done cleaner to make it look like a reps car rater than a “main” business vehicle. If all I saw was the car, then I too would think Phill operated using a car.
So, yes, personally I too think it looks good on the van, but OTT on the car……….
– I just cannot see any logic to the assumption that a sign written car indicates in any way that that a business would operate using 1 car only? A vehicle is an advertising medium – i see cars and taxis wrapped andsign writtenn in somerfield graphics, irn bru etc and don’t for a second think that these guys operate out of 1 car, just don’t see the smallest bit of logic in that assumption. Obviously some folk do think that – i just cant see where that train of though would come from?
-
Nigel, I can see how people could make that assumption. Think what Gavin and Graeme are saying is that people expect Signmakers to have a van and if the only vehicle they ever see is the car then they might get the wrong impression.
I would imagine lots of small businesses operate with only one car or one van, I certainly know a lot of people who work for themselves on their own and use their van for everything rather than buying a second vehicle.
I don’t have a van myself to be honest, OK I have a big car that I can fit everything in or on the roofrack which does me just fine and I think looks professional enough when I go to a job but most people are going to assume I am a very small business and they are right.
-
I love it Phill. Not sure about the font used with the website and phone though. You’ve gone ‘over the top’ with the sign, and used a conservative font for the ancillary text.
I’d have done it smaller and let the logo do the talking myself.
Well done mate. You have broken the negative space rule, but sometimes ‘rules’ can be so restricting. :lol1: and sometimes being a bit bolder gets you noticed…..
-
I like the fact that you maneged to get a pretty big sign on such a small area and get it to work! Cheers!
-
quote Martin:if the only vehicle they ever see is the car then they might get the wrong impression.
Hi martin, – yes I would understand the assumption IF they would only see the car…… but they wont, – they will see a mixture of both – I would imagine and this would be only my opinion and could well be wrong – that only a small possibly one man business would make the assumption that it may be a one car small business I would think that any business with more than one vehicle has considered signwriting every vehicle they own and would think that Phil had done this.
Like I said multinationals pay good money to have cars signwritten.
Obviously a few folk here have this assumption Im just curios to see why and what logic there is to it?
Nigel
-
quote :IF they would only see the car…… but they wont,
Ok so why is this a definite? It’s perfectly realistic that some people may only see the car, actually quite likely if it gets used for the shopping and is sitting in supermarket car parks and the like.
Only seeing the car is a factor but not the only reason for my opinion. Again Phil this is a long standing opinion and not directed at you. Cars done in a subtle fashion are different but when you go over the top I think it cheapens the vehicle and signwork. This is screaming for attention and I feel it’s the wrong vehicle to scream about, another example was when Karl (again no offense intended) wrapped a people carrier, I just don’t get it. It’s good work done badly, not because of the job but because of the vehicle. We need to show through our own work that we have the taste and skill to do the work and this sometimes requires discretion.
Yes big multinationals use cars but people already know they are not one-man bands, if you see a car with ‘steve the joiner’ on it do you assume it’s 1 in a fleet of 100? I doubt it. It depends on the impression you want to give but I feel it’s an advantage to appear bigger than you are to help gain trust
It is obviously a matter of opinion and more seem to like it than not so fair enough. It’s just not for me, though I do like a bit of marmite!
-
In my opinion its all about branding, whether you choose subtle or not, it all works …and for very little cost. To give an example, Me and my guys wear branded body warmers. I was standing in the queue at the bank when a guy walked up to me simply because I was wearing the body warmer. I won at least 2k of business from this for his external signage simply by promoting my company in a subtle manner.
At least try these initiatives, as someone else said, nothing ventured nothing gained! Im not overly keen on a branded personal vehicle but I think phills is pretty tastefullly and subtly done. -
The very first van I did, in fact it’s the reason I’m in this game at all, was for a local alarm company with a single van.
Obviously it was always running around, and the owner came back some months later and told me that he had had several customers tell him that they chose him to do their work because he was obviously a fair sized company because they were always seeing his vans around the town. The conclusion I came to was that the reality doesn’t matter. It’s the perception that counts.
I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with your car Phill, because I honestly don’t know the answer to this one, but all the larger corporates we do that have graphics on cars, usually estates, are a little more subtle. In fact I would go so far as to venture that the larger the graphics, the smaller the company.
I certainly wouldn’t have graphics on my personal transport, and I’m not even sure that I would want them on any company vehicle at all. The reason is that I don’t particularly want our competitors seeing us on site and knowing for whom we are working.
I prefer to operate in stealth mode. 😀
-
quote John Childs:In fact I would go so far as to venture that the larger the graphics, the smaller the company.😀
My sentiments entirely.
What are we always telling customers?
Less is more.
-
I might be wrong but I can’t help thinking that if that had been a newbie posting up there work we would be all be telling them about negative space and pointing out that the smaller text is difficult to read but because it’s Phil who obviously knows what he’s doing and has done it intentionally the rules seem somewhat flexible 🙂
-
OK. I have devised a more subtle layout. What do you think 😕
Attachments:
-
quote Phill:OK. I have devised a more subtle layout. What do you think 😕:lol1: :lol1:
-
quote Phill:OK. I have devised a more subtle layout. What do you think 😕
The kernings a bit off but you’re getting there
Have a look at this….you may pick up a few valuable tips
https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=41751&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
😳 😀
-
Now that’s classy 😮
-
Phil just put it on the roof and stop being so bloody vulgar, putting signs on doors whatever next?
-
Psst! Phil I can’t see what it says
-
Phill actually put the right signs on his car, so it cant be wrong, can it?
Peter
-
quote Phill:OK. I have devised a more subtle layout. What do you think 😕
Phil, you have a Ford – there are two choices
1 vulgar large signs and you cant tell its a Ford – which is what you done – nice one!
2 subtle signs and you can still see the vulgar car underneath – which is worse?What will your customers judge you on? vulgar taste in cars or graphics? mmmm so much to worry about and silver choosing silver is definitely small time trying to look special? its so last year!
Jeez where will it end – you had better watch what type of air freshener you get – choose a tree? or the wee traffic light style? a comedy one – which will the big spending customers like? If only sprite made cars eh.
-
quote Nigel Hindley:Phil, you have a Ford – there are two choices
1 vulgar large signs and you cant tell its a Ford – which is what you done – nice one!
2 subtle signs and you can still see the vulgar car underneath – which is worse?But it’s a Zetec S – complete with full bodykit, alloy wheels and everyfing :worry:
-
quote Phill:quote Nigel Hindley:Phil, you have a Ford – there are two choices
1 vulgar large signs and you cant tell its a Ford – which is what you done – nice one!
2 subtle signs and you can still see the vulgar car underneath – which is worse?But it’s a Zetec S – complete with full bodykit, alloy wheels and everyfing :worry:
ooooh Phil – you went for the Vulgar+ wrap it quickly (and that means round a tree not in vinyl) 😉
Log in to reply.
