Creative Strategies for Bus Wrap Advertising in the Twin Cities

Planning to launch a new product? Or need help positioning your brand, so it’s always right in front of all the action? Bus wrap advertising is an effective marketing solution to help you grab the attention of commuters, busy shoppers, pedestrians, and tourists in more places and in less time.

Bus wrap advertising has been around since the early 1900s, beginning with Milton Hershey of the Hershey Chocolate Company. Hershey was considered the first businessman to paint his company’s logo on the side of his vehicle, allowing other motorists and pedestrians to see his brand and think, “chocolate!” Since then, mobile billboard advertising has evolved and appeared on transit buses, metro trains, semi-trucks, and more to help businesses promote their products on the go. 

Why is Bus Wrap Advertising so Effective?

As with many Out of Home (OOH) advertising strategies, bus wrap advertising helps bring your brand directly to customers, where they’re more likely to engage (i.e. complete a purchase). 

For example, let’s say you’re planning to launch a new energy drink, and you want to get the word out to more people, specifically in targeted areas (metropolitan cities), where customers have a shorter distance to make a transaction. Having a mobile, visual representation of your product on display ensures more people see your advertisement and feel the urge to find out more (i.e. go to their local retailer to learn more or potentially make a final point of purchase).

Other benefits of bus advertising include:

  • Because we live in a world of instant gratification, there are many other brands also competing for your customers’ attention. Bus wrap advertising allows you to seamlessly broadcast your products and services, using strong visuals and clear messaging, to engage more people on the spot, meaning you send the right message at the most opportune time for better engagement. 
  • Let’s not forget that while walking or driving, customers are also more aware of their surroundings and are trying to concentrate on what’s moving in front of them. When they see your banner moving along the Metro area, they will instantly recognize your brand and form a connection.
  • It’s estimated that individual vehicle advertising can generate anywhere between 30,000 to 70,000 vehicle impressions a day. Therefore, having your advertisement wrapped partially or completely around a bus can ensure that more people see your message and that you leave a lasting impression with them for the rest of the day. 

Creative Strategies for Bus Wrap Advertising

As mentioned, bus wrap advertising continues to grow and evolve in major metropolitan areas, meaning you have more creative options to consider when planning the design, layout, and implementation of your banner. 

Here are some of our favorite creative strategies to inspire your design:

Utilize Surroundings: This strategy is especially popular in Europe, where brands often utilize the places around the bus (e.g. doorways, tires, back windows, articulation joints, etc.) to creatively drive their message to the viewer. An example may include having the bus’ doorways create two separate images: one when they open to let passengers on and off and another when the doors close. This helps create excitement and more engagement for your brand that people can’t help but pay attention to. 

Clear, Simple Messaging: Though bus wrap advertising allows you to reach more customers in a broader area, you do have limited time to get your message across. Bus wraps with more graphical elements and less wording tend to engage customers more, as they only need to look at the advertisement for a few short seconds to make the connection to your brand and to the products/services you are advertising. 

Keep it Local: Another creative strategy might be to hone in on the local Twin Cities look and feel. When people see an advertisement that includes images or messaging related to their local area, they are more likely to connect with the advertisement immediately, as they already share something in common with your brand. This might include having verbiage that includes, “Minnesota’s top choice for…” or “The Best…in the Twin Cities.” 

Is Bus Advertising Right for Your Brand?

Having a larger-than-life advertisement can help you cut through the ad clutter and instantly connect customers to your brand. To learn more about the benefits of bus advertising, truckside advertising, mobile digital billboards for trucks, and more, contact AllOver Media today. 

As experienced OOH advertisers in the Twin Cities, we’ll help you build better brand awareness and ensure your message gets to the right people at the right time.