Are vehicle wraps in decline?

[shoresigns]

Over the past few years we've seen a sharp decline in the number of requests we get for vehicle wraps, and an increase for vehicle decals. It seems like there's a lot less wraps on the road than there used to be around here, too. Is it just us? What's been your experience?

We don't have a problem with it - vehicle decals are quick and easy to make a good profit on. They're 1/10 the price of wraps so they're easy to sell and they'll get you the same # of impressions per hour of road time. Maybe a well-designed wrap will attract a little more attention, but at 10x the price?

 

[visual800]

i certainly hope so. I have always thought partial wraps were just as effective. wraps to me are distracting, trashy, loud and uncalled for. Pat Whatley has really changed the way the company he works for designs wraps. before him they were really throwing some absolute s**t out there. the stuff he does is clean and precise.

the crap I see in fellers catalogs is absolute trash.

 

[OldPaint]

most so called wrap designers(ha ha)have ZERO ART TALENT or training. so this makes it easy for most of them to live by an old tee-shirt saying they used to sell right next to the tee shirt said MUSTACHE RIDES 5 CENTS)))
the one the wrap designers use is:
IF YOU CANT DAZZLE THEM WITH YOUR BRILLIANCE .................YOU BAFFLE THEM WITH BULLSCHIT))))
when the background overpowers the message..........
YOU ARE ONE OF THESE)))))

 

[Gino]

Around here, people don't have the money to do them as much anymore. We've always done far more partial wraps and still do a ton of die cut. I agree with the others that the majority of them look like crap. Years ago and present day, seems the designers wanna make an art exhibit, rather than an advertising piece. Some art is only in the eye of the beholder, but advertising must appeal to the masses or it does you little to no good.

Ya still see them, but not near as much.

 

[tbullo]

Recently we have converted a couple of customers back to cut vinyl. They both had partial wraps(done elsewhere) and were not happy with the life span and fading. You know the old bubbles down the body line thing. Both these guys buy there trucks and vans and keep them for a long time. So in this case the life of cast cut vinyl seemed to be a better fit.

 

[rjssigns]

Not too much in the way of commercial wraps here either. Clients will ask about them then get the WTF I'm not spending that much for a sticker look when they hear the price.

Other part of it is perception of clients. Years ago a business owner told me he had to keep his trucks simple. Had clients tell him they were apparently paying way too much for the work because of the fancy vehicles workers had on site.

 

[Billct2]

They never really took off here. Between the cost, the life expectancy and the poor design on many of them they don't sell.
At least not to small contractors/businesses. Hard to convince somebody to replace a product that lasted them 5-10 years with something
for 5 or 10 times the cost that won't last nearly as long.
Corporate/franchise fleets and box truck ads are different. They look at them
as part of an advertising/marketing strategy that is budgeted for.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Only people really buying wraps here are the money making food trucks, of course government, sports teams, & franchised mix of businesses the businesses that had them are buying alot less because they fade fast & look like hodge pod of whatever & unreadable so they are back to cut vinyl & hand painted, I'm selling more work now because customers tell me they don't like vinyl because it looks cold & prints fade badly anyway & look like blah after couple years also, vinyl looks ugly after it starts to break down & ya got to replace stuff, when hand painted all ya do is re-paint if surface is good.

A well design full or partial looks great for awhile then starts to fade & the brightness it had just does have that glow no more, it is hard to notice unless you take note of certain vehicles or back lighted signs, but as long as ya can afford & willing to pay the piper they are fine & will still be around awhile.

 

[shoresigns]

Wow! Very interesting responses from everyone. Are there any companies who still have a strong focus on wraps that would like to chime in? Have you seen a decline, and if so, how have you been adapting or expanding laterally to other areas?

 

[ExecuPrintGS]

We have done more full/ partial wraps this year.
A lot of the guys around here want to 1 up the next guy. We had one customer this past December decide to do a partial wrap on his whole fleet. Since we finished that (and put our logo on it) i got a hand full of calls from his competitors who saw his trucks and wanted to do more to their fleet.
This was our strongest year yet for vehicle graphics and I'd say 15-20% were partial or full wraps compared to just cut vinyl or printed decals.

 

[jfiscus]

Apparently you just aren't marketing to the demographic searching for wraps. People are buying them all day.

We are printing more wraps now than ever, along with more partial wraps, cut vinyl jobs, etc, etc. - The problem nowadays is staying in your customer's mind for when they decide they want to try out a wrap or having the correct SEO/online marketing already in place for when they do a search for local companies. Many of your current customers who order one type of product might not even know that you offer other types of products (like wraps); I have experienced this with MANY customers.

 

[reQ]

Depends on the year. I don't do to many of them anyways so i don't keep any statistics

 

[neato]

I personally can't wait until the fad dies.

 

[MichaelAlmand]

​too many butchers out there ruining the industry.​

 

[reQ]

​too many butchers out there ruining the industry.​

Like in any other industry and its sad.

 

[SignosaurusRex]

The average "Wrap" is like a Dinner at the local Buffet, Too much sh** on the plate to enjoy what is offered. One look and you have had all you can take...visual overload to the point of exhaustion and no longer hungry or even care about taste ...or attempted message.
I have noticed a steep decline in "Wraps" and an increase in simplification. Sometimes "Less" is actually "More" ...especially when executed properly and tastefully.
The whole "Vehicle Lettering" arena is coming Full Circle, little by little.

 

[OldPaint]

many of the "wrap people" have no concept of good, readable sign design. it is not throwing busy-busy backgrounds with the text on top.
IF THESE PEOPLE WOULD...... take the time to go on line and research 1950's- 1970's DESIGNED SIGNS especially VEHICLES..............when any pictorial was added, with purpose........was done with a brush!!!!!
this in itself kept that kinda work in a "minimalistic" perspective to the text. one of the guys that taught me the brush, i remember him doing a van for a i think a tobacco shop. was basic lettering done cleanly. the graphic he painted on 3 sides of the van(both side & back door, smaller version) really made the van "pop" and be read. i think it was this one(minus the 25 cent)........ALL PAINT)))
the amount of ART TALENT it took to produce these cigar labels also took place on fruit crates. GOOGLE them to see some fantastic art..........THAT MADE YOU WANT TO READ THE PRODUCT.
FRUIT LABELS https://www.google.com/search?q=fru...4gKHYOJCyEQ_AUIBygB&biw=1540&bih=738&dpr=1.13
CIGAR BOXES https://www.google.com/search?q=fru...&bih=738&dpr=1.13#tbm=isch&q=cigar+box+labels

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

Probably, have you ever seen a wrap that wasn't ugly as sin? I haven't, besides single color jobs. Wraps are hideous.

 

[Marlene]

I would be happy to see them go as they are, for the most part, eye sores. on the fip side, there have been some that were done and look great.

 

[DirtyD]

They are not in decline here in Northern Indiana - but then again my county is the largest manufacturing for box trucks, trailers, etc.