Whether you’re planning a corporate event, decorating a wedding shuttle bus, or planning a field trip or student event, a custom bus wrap is a great way to personalize your group bus travel experience! At Bus.com, we can help with all your bus wrapping needs to spruce up your vehicle so you can keep the party going on the road. But, in case you need some inspiration, we put together this list of creative bus wrap ideas to help spark your imagination!
1. Tony Hawk’s Boom Boom Huckjam Tour
When skateboard legend Tony Hawk hit the road in the early 2000s for his Boom Boom Huckjam Tour, he did it in style. His all-red tour bus caught the eye of the masses, as it featured a massive print of Ronald McDonald’s iconic red boots riding an exceptionally oversized skateboard. That’s just too much to ignore! As an added bonus, the Boom Boom Huckjam Tour was one of the coolest extreme sports events around at the time!
2. Limo Bus: In An Absolut World
One glimpse at this Absolut Vodka bus wrap ad and you’ll immediately want to live your most lavish life. It features a print of a stretch limo along the side of a coach bus, accompanied by the words “In an Absolut world”. Its message is simple: in an Absolut world, you’re VIP.
3. Hell on Wheels: Bus by Kathryn Daab
This bus wrap advertises the popular AMC series “Hell on Wheels,” one of the most recognizable shows on television today. This wrap effectively transformed a regular city bus into a flaming locomotive train. The good news is that it didn’t require coal or steel tracks to run.
4. Copenhagen Zoo: Snake Bus by Bates Y&R
Imagine – you’re strolling down the street in Copenhagen, appreciating the Danish architecture, when all of a sudden, you see it: A SNAKE! Copenhagen Zoo’s bus wrap ad campaign is one of the most eye-catching sights to behold, featuring a massive, life-like boa constrictor crushing a commuter bus from bumper to bumper. In the middle of a busy city like Copenhagen, this wild bus wrap definitely turns city dwellers’ heads. We’re not sure if this makes us want to run away from the zoo or face our fears of giant reptiles in the eye. What we do know is that it’s awesome.
5. Careerbuilder.com bus
Careerbuilder.com definitely thought outside the box for this one. This bus wrap is intended to be viewed from high vantage points, such as skyscrapers, with the words “don’t jump.” emblazoned on top of the city bus. Yeah, we’ll let you digest that information. While it’s a given that job hunting is rough, here’s to hoping that none of the ad’s viewers were considering jumping in the first place. It’s definitely a creative (…and somewhat morbid) approach.
6. Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada: GetYourButtSeen.ca bus by Ogilvy Montréal
Nothing turns heads like a bus that looks like it’s carrying a bunch of passengers showing their rear ends to the crowd. Naked butts in public – it’s not exactly what you expect to see plastered on the side of a bus, which is exactly why it helped get the conversation around colorectal cancer going. Shock the people, and they will talk! This bus wrap ad by the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada and sponsored by Ogilvy is definitely not going to be forgotten anytime soon.
7. National Geographic: Bus
National Geographic dared bus riders to confront their darkest oceanic fears with this creative bus wrap design in 2006. Commuters had to step through the jaws of a great white shark to get to their preferred destination – enough to terrify anyone still reeling from Jaws It was an awesome way to grab the attention of passersby on the street, and promote National Geographic’s TV show, Built For The Kill.
8. Dr. Best: Bus by Kim Sokola, Julia Neumann
This wrap ad made genius use of those extra-long buses with a joint in between forward and back sections. The ad utilizes the joint space to demonstrate the flexibility of a Dr. Best toothbrush. Just don’t expect to find floss or toothpicks included!
9. Bernmobil: Airport bus by Neue Lgk
This wrap ad by Bernmobil is sure to make you do a double-take. It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane –it’s a flying bus! This bus wrap features an image of a bus that’s in the middle of lifting off to its destination. This is a creative way to reassure tourists fresh off their plane that they’re on the right airport shuttle, and alleviate any anxiety that often comes with trying to find one’s way around a new city’s public transit system!
10. Axe: Bus by Lowe
In 2006, Axe rolled out a bus wrap campaign that garnered the attention of many as it cruised by on the street. This wrap advertising Axe’s infamous body spray depicts a party scene happening onboard, featuring one man spritzing himself with the brand’s (arguably pungent) body spray as silhouettes of women dance all around him. It’s every teenage boy’s dream come true. Axe truly excelled in speaking to their target demographic, and effectively moulded an entire generation of men who think overpowering body spray is an appropriate substitute for cologne. Well done, marketing team.
11. NZDating.com: Buses by Draft
Sometimes, we can’t just leave things like love to chance. Dating site NZDating.com introduced a unique bus wrap concept in Auckland in 2006 that involved two buses finding their other half, with the words “Find Your” on the back of one bus and “Perfect Match” on the other. While this is a great idea in theory, in order for the advertising effort to be realized full-force, two buses would need to drive side by side, continuously. What with traffic being a very real thing, the buses often got separated. However, this was an inspiring message to all singletons who witnessed the coupled-up buses. After all, if buses can find true love with the help of NZDating.com, so can you.
12. VISA, Wellington On a Plate Culinary Festival: Giant Lobster Bus by WHYBIN\TBWA
Lobster, anyone? VISA’s eye-catching bus wrap ad advertising their “$5000 foodie experience” was enough to make any seafood-lover hungry. It featured a massive, almost 3D image of a lobster, and made expert use of the bus’ large antenna as the lobster’s own. This wrap effectively caught the eye of New Zealand foodies and inspired them to make sure their VISA was readily accessible for the Visa Wellington On a Plate culinary festival.
13. Perth Zoo: Tiger Bus by The Brand Agency
At first sight, viewers of the Perth Zoo Tiger Bus might have thought it had been in a tragic accident, but soon realized it was just an ad of a tiger clawing the sides of a commuter bus, complete with the illusion that it shattered windows trying to get to the passengers inside. With its catch phrase, “Come to the zoo before the zoo comes to you,” we can bet that people were flocking to the zoo just to ward off any absurd fears of being attacked by a jungle cat!
14. Specsavers: Bus Back Crash by Smart
No, you didn’t hit hit a pole – but this smart bus wrap ad by Specsavers sure scared you for a second! The realistic 3D imagery depicting the rear of the bus backed into a street sign will make you think you might need to get your eyes checked.This bus wrap was an effective way to remind drivers trailing the bus to call up Specsavers and get their vision checked to avoid any potential accidents.
15. Nationwide: Life Comes At You Fast
This bus wrap ad reminds readers of the importance of planning ahead, and making sure your insurance is in place before you need it. Featuring a visual of a shocked motorcyclist whose bike is unexpectedly exploding from the rear Nationwide reminds us that “Life Comes At You Fast” and often without much warning. It’s always best to be prepared!
16. All Small & Mighty Laundry Detergent Bus
Covering a bus in dirty laundry might not sound all too appealing in theory. But in practice, it’s an awesome way to demonstrate how much laundry can be cleaned with just one bottle of All Small & Mighty Laundry Detergent. Since its launch in New York City in 2006, this ad idea drove more than 5,000 people to the product’s website – and probably to the laundromat.
17. ToysDirect.com’s Battery Bus
This awesome bus wrap ad from ToysDirect.com certainly succeeded to “inspire imagination and play”. It’s fun design makes it appear as though passengers are stepping onto a life-size toy bus by installing giant batteries within the sides of the bus – just like a real toy! This was a creative way to speak to the inner kid within all of us and remind its audience that the world is a playground.
18. Mini Bus: Slimming & Detoxifying Pill
This bus ad wrap reminded viewers that good things do come in small packages. This bus wrap showcased the benefits of renting a mini bus, while also advertising a safe and effective pill designed for slimming your body and detoxifying your gut.
19. Toy Bus: Children’s Charity
This wrap ad reminded viewers that donations to children’s charities help “thousands of children be children again” every year. It gave off the illusion that this bus is a “toy bus” being pushed by a playful child. After all, who doesn’t want a quick return to childhood?
Time to wrap your bus!
Wrap ads are a great way to turn the sides of your bus into mobile advertising space and make a few extra bucks along the way, or to decorate your bus for a sports event, a wedding, or corporate event! At Bus.com, we’re here to help with all of your bus rental needs – bus wrapping and decorating included. Best travels!
