No, this is not an automotive freak show. Rather, examples of Bell County businesses going the extra mile by jazzing up their work vehicles. These ostentatious rolling billboards attract crowds, get people reaching for their cameras and draw hugs from children. But most importantly for their owners, it gets the phone ringing.
Ken Harris recently bought the tiny European Smart Car that just became available in the United States. He used a service called the Sign Zoo out of Florida to “wrap” the vehicle. Harris says although the giant scorpion and centipede sometimes “creeps out” other drivers, it gets them thinking about bugs.
“They want the guy that drives the Smart Car to come give them an estimate,” said Harris, owner of Bell County Pest Control. “That’s an excellent conversation starter. It gets your foot in the door.”
After several years selling real estate with Joan Mikeska Realty in Temple, Bob Arris rolled his 2000 Ford Excursion into a bay at Signs of the Times, a Temple company that specializes in creative outdoor advertising.
About a week later, out rolled the Z-mobile. The white paint with black streaks plays on the Mikeska motto, “We earned our stripes.”
“Branding is an important issue with Realtors,” said the affable Arris, 2007 Temple-Belton Realtor of the year. “The more you are branded, the more recognized you are.”
But for people who own only one car, driving a high-profile vehicle can have its drawbacks. Unless your spouse or date likes eating at Chuck E. Cheese, going out to dinner in a vehicle that looks like a zebra, or a Bengal tiger, it’s not the ideal romantic ride. Arris also points out, with a mischievous grin, “Of course, you’ve got to behave too.”
The guy who designed the Z-mobile, a free spirit named Kevin Gentry said wrapping vehicles is catching on fast in Bell County.
“You wrap everything in big cities,” Gentry said. “It’s a mobile billboard and a heck of a lot cheaper than a phonebook ad.”
Business owners who have splashed their work vehicles with unique designs say the investment - $2,200 to $3,500 - is money well spent.
“If you divide that into five or six years, that’s pretty cheap advertising,” said the bug man, Harris, who also owns a Mini Cooper covered with insects. “I would encourage any business ... if you’ve got service vehicles already and you want to make an impact, that’s definitely the way to go.”
Doyle Eiler, professor of marketing at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, said the concept of “wrapping” a Smart Car with creepy crawlers is a smart idea.
“It generates buzz,” Eiler said. “You have to break out of the clutter, find a way to stand out. For a business that needs visibility, it’s a big plus, and you overcome issues with billboards.”
Eiler said the public may not need a particular service the day they see that jazzy ride, but the message has been sent, and customers will later recall the services that vehicle advertises.
Over in Harker Heights, Shannon Dean struck out on his own in 2007, repairing commercial copiers and refilling ink and toner cartridges. At his 20th high school reunion, he found a classmate who does the same thing in Abilene. The difference, however, his old friend named his company Toner Tiger and drives a Volkswagen that looks like a Bengal. Impressed, Dean beat the bushes for a black VW, had orange decals installed, and soon joined the team.
“All the kids, they’ll run out and start pointing at me,” Dean said. “When I first started driving it, I’d forget I had decorated it and wondered why people would stare and point at me all the time.”
Although some people rib him about his car, Dean says he doesn’t care.
“No matter if you think it’s ugly, or like the way it looks, it still catches your attention.”
