Fund Your Travels By Driving A Billboard?

Posted by Mike Richard on July 2, 2007
Filed under: Odds + Ends

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Ad Wrapped Car

Upgrade: Travel Better asks Would you drive a free rental car?

Walking around Paris during the last week, I’ve seen a few Smart cars completely smothered in ads.

Finally I got up the gumption to inquire with a driver leaving a Smart car plastered with fish, advertising a plasma TV: “Do you get paid for these ads?”

“110 euros a month,” he said. “It pays for my gas!”

Would you agree to slather your ride in ads for a little extra spending money?

While the philosophically rebellious side of me says, “Hell no!” The hyper-marketed, over-commercialization of the world by ad agencies hell-bent on plastering every available six-by-six inch space with ads is what’s really wrong with the world.

The practical, realistic side of me says, “Bring it on!” If I could fund (partially or in full) my year-long drive across Canada by simply putting ads on my Civic, show me where to sign. Especially if I could trade in my Honda for the super-sweet GMC van above! It’s a no-brainer.

Am I selling out? Maybe. Everyone has their price, I suppose. Mine happens to be whatever it costs to drive for a year across Canada.

Admittedly, I researched this idea a while back. A little Googling reveals that this is already a growing segment of the ad world.

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Vagabondish editor Mike Richard lives in Rhode Island - a small patch of land in the northeastern U.S. He is a professional web designer and travel junkie with an unhealthy addiction to backpacking, camping, hiking and seeing the world. He enjoys knit hats and speaking in the third person.



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Comments

Stacy
July 2nd, 2007 - 12:42 pm

I wouldn’t, partly because I’m tired of all the advertising and commercialization I see, but also because I don’t like to draw attention to myself. There is no chance of blending in with a vehicle decorated with advertising.

Of course, it’s hard to balance all that with a need for cash to fund your travels.


sam
July 2nd, 2007 - 5:07 pm

This could be the GOOD kind of selling out! I’d do it, in a heartbeat, depending upon the nature of the advertisement. It’s a Red Bull: Yes, Viagra: No, sort of thing.

Then again, I used to read Mini-Truckin’. Gaudy is perfectly OK by me.


Mike
July 2nd, 2007 - 7:38 pm

Yeah, just like you probably wouldn’t want to be driving the Tampax car in the Indy 500. It’s a balancing act for sure.

But I’m honestly just not the vain, especially if I were driving across Canada among strangers. Hell it’d probably be a great conversation piece. Especially if it’s for a cool company, people would probably think you work there.

“Me? Why, yes I am the CFO of Google.”