When you think of advertising with vehicle graphics, you might picture something wild like a bright green sports car emblazoned with an energy drink logo. But look around the road, and you’ll quickly realize that there are car decals for businesses of all kinds.
Whether it’s the loaner car from an auto shop, the catering van of a classy restaurant, or a local plumber’s work truck, you can find car decals that work well for advertising.
First, you have options for window decals and vehicle graphics:
- Full vehicle wraps
- Partial vehicle wraps
- Vinyl lettering
- See-through perforated window decals
- And more custom options for auto decals
Examples of Successful Car Decal Advertising
Wondering if car decals really work to drum up business? Here are some ways that vehicle graphics can help boost your brand awareness:
Service providers
Plumbers, electricians, maid services, pest control, roofing companies, or just about any other residential service provider should be using vinyl car decals for fleet vehicles. Your customers’ neighbors instantly know who to call when they need the same service.
Restaurants and caterers
Own an upscale Italian restaurant? Put the logo and address on the door or window. Run a barbecue food truck or a party catering company? Add a full vehicle wrap to turn heads and make your arrival an event unto itself!
Breweries and vineyards
Giant beverage corporations spend billions on advertising, but people strongly prefer to go local for craft brews and California wine. Decals for your personal vehicle or delivery trucks sprea d the word around town and keep your brand top-of-mind.
Professional services
Lawyers, accountants, dentists, doctors, and other professionals tend to have physical locations that are less noticeable from the road. Car decals work for advertising just by sitting in your parking lot.
Healthcare and senior care
Branding gives authority to the fleet vehicles of home health aides, senior daycare providers, veterinarians that make house calls, and similar situations where you don’t want to show up in an unmarked vehicle.
Industry Verticals Getting the Highest ROI in 2025
Here’s what cynical business owners really want to know: Is anyone actually making money from decals this year?
Short answer—yes, but only the industries leaning into hyper-local visibility. Service providers like home contractors and HVAC companies continue to dominate because customers search “near me” more aggressively than ever. Restaurants, food trucks, and craft breweries are cashing in by pairing decals with QR-code promos that auto-apply coupons. Senior care brands and small healthcare clinics are also quietly winning the trust game through consistent, clean vehicle branding that signals reliability.
A Santa Rosa-based plumbing company recently tracked its fleet branding and found 23% of all new leads came from truck decals alone—no ad budget, no algorithm roulette. That level of ROI is why decals remain one of the cheapest, most predictable advertising channels in 2025.
What Smart Brands Consider Before Slapping on a Decal
Everyone loves the idea of cruising around with a moving billboard, but the sharp marketers in 2025 know the real game is compliance, clarity, and consistency. Businesses are double-checking local sign ordinances, ensuring contractor license numbers are displayed correctly, and aligning car decal designs with storefront signage so the branding doesn’t feel like it was thrown together in Microsoft Paint.
Santa Rosa brands in particular are tightening up their decals—clean typography, high-durability materials, and placement that won’t peel in the summer heat. Companies are also pairing decals with strong digital follow-through: fast-loading landing pages, locally optimized Google Business Profiles, and tracking numbers to measure the impact of every impression their vehicles make.
Considerations Before Applying Car Decals
First, think about whether you want permanent or . Magnets can be removed anytime, while transfer decals can be removed easily without harming paint when it’s time to retire the graphics.
Then think about how much coverage you want. Full car wrap decals are probably best for industries like food and beverage, entertainment, and service companies like landscapers. Other business might prefer smaller decals or simple lettering for the name, phone number, and website.
Finally, it’s time to find a car decal maker with high-tech equipment that can produce logos in true colors, photos in high resolution, and products with lasting quality. While some decals can be applied by anyone with a ruler in hand, wraps and decals on curved surfaces or an intricate auto body should definitely be installed by an experienced pro.
For full-service help from the design to application for car decals in Santa Rosa, contact us at TNT Signs and Graphics!