Look at the rear end of a vehicle. What do you see?
Apparently, car and truck owners see a blank canvas.
From vanity plates to Darwin fish to “Support Our Troops” ribbons to Euro-style vacation destination decals to “Honk if you love ferrets” bumper stickers, many drivers proudly express their preferences.
Applying a decal to a bumper or rear window requires at least a degree of commitment. (Ever tried to remove one?) Therefore, it’s interesting to note the brands receiving the lion’s share of PDA.
Some of the brand logos most commonly displayed on vehicles promote:
- sports teams, all levels
- schools, colleges and universities
- military service branches
- radio stations
- political campaigns
Think about the volume of marketing research being made available for free. Car owners are revealing where their kids go to school, who they voted for, what they do for fun, and with which station to reach them.
Some tell you even more. A select few consumer-goods logos also appear in rear windows. Some I’ve seen include:
- Apple
- Patagonia
- Harley-Davidson
- Abercrombie & Fitch
Like sports teams and universities, these are affinity brands. The drivers displaying these logos are proud members of their brand communities. The brands are part of their personal identities. Their club colors are flying for all to see.
Which other affinity consumer-goods brand logos have you seen displayed on vehicles ?
