Driving all the way to Stupid Town

Yesterday's NYT printed a story about adwraps, a phenomenon that I've been blissfully unaware of up until now. Basically, you get paid—either with a free car or monthly check of up to $800—to have a gigantic ad pasted over the entire surface of your car. If you have no scruples, this might seem an easy way to make a few bucks, but there are guidelines to be followed, some of which require real work, or at least some behavior modification. For instance, you're not allowed to smoke, swear, or litter near your car! You have to send in reports, with photos of your car parked in different locations, to prove that you've been driving around. Some companies even require you to drive your car to "influencer" events, to hand out samples or coupons.

As if sitting in traffic wasn't torture enough... Maybe I should develop some kind of humanwrap for public transportation commuters?

Check out this hilarious copy and photos from a company called Adwraps.

Adwraps began in traffic. The company's business concept exploits and capitalizes on one of societies most counterproductive inventions, personal transportation. Today, the personal vehicle dominates the outdoor landscape more than any other time in history. Vehicles can be seen on every street, in every driveway, every school, every religious institution, every mall and any other location imaginable. The car is king of the outdoors. The sheer physical dominance of the car coupled with the worst traffic congestion levels in history make the personal vehicle a natural medium for outdoor advertising. Currently, the average person spends two hours a day in their vehicle, drives more than 40 miles per day, takes four plus trips per day and travels more than forty-eight miles a day on weekends. Translated, these statistics reveal that people are outside in their vehicles looking at other vehicles, which make them perfect mobile billboards. Moreover, recent Federal Highway Administration studies forecasts a sharp increase in the amount of time spent in personal vehicles and the number of trips per household in the future. This data suggests that the personal vehicle will become even more prevalent and will been seen by more people with greater exposure and frequency.

Adwraps "wraps" private vehicles in a high quality vinyl adhesive with graphic images promoting and maintaining products and brands. These "wraps" are visually stimulating, unique and cannot be avoided due to their conspicuous location. The wraps educate, entertain and inform motorists and pedestrians while they are commuting and outside on social and family business. They can reach consumers in conditions that radio, television and print are ineffective and they are appreciated for their ability to humor motorists and pedestrians as well as alleviate boredom when stuck in traffic. Most important is that "wraps" are one of the only forms of advertising that cannot be switched off, tuned out or lost in a quicksand of other advertisements.