Bakkie Branding for Canopies, Doors and Tailgates

A bakkie is a mobile signboard, and its shape gives you several good positions.

• Contractors, builders, plumbers, electricians and maintenance teams
• Landscaping, pest control, cleaning and other service businesses
• Security, armed response and emergency-services vehicles
• Agricultural and mining support vehicles
• Sales and representative vehicles with a canopy
• Fleets needing the same look on single and double cabs

Because many bakkies are used on rough roads and building sites, branding should be practical, readable and easy to repair.

Typical bakkie layouts include:

• Door lettering: name, logo and contact details on both front doors.
• Canopy branding: large panels on the canopy sides and rear window, the biggest flat areas.
• Tailgate graphics: a bold name or logo for following traffic.
• Load bin side graphics: stripes or logos along the bin.
• Bonnet and roof accents: for colour contrast.
• Partial wrap: a graphic sweep along the sides, see Partial Vehicle Wraps.

The canopy is usually the best advertising space, and the tailgate is seen most in traffic. Placement should leave handles, lights and number plates uncovered.

Bakkies work hard, so the film needs to as well.

• Cast vinyl for curved door and bonnet panels.
• Calendered vinyl for flat canopy panels, where the surface is smooth.
• Reflective vinyl for rear and side visibility at night.
• Printed vinyl with laminate for full-colour logos and imagery.
• Perforated window film on canopy glass, where suitable, so branding does not block the view out.

Fibreglass canopies, powder-coated and textured plastics each take film differently. We check surfaces before choosing materials.

Branding on a bakkie is unlit. Visibility comes from contrast and reflective film, which helps rear and side panels read in headlights. See Reflective Vehicle Graphics. Never cover lights, indicators or number plates, and check any rules that apply to your vehicle class.

Choose bakkie branding when the vehicle is a bakkie with a canopy or load bin. For other needs:

• Vehicle Lettering and Decals are the simpler option for door text only.
• Full Car Wraps suit showpiece or colour-change projects.
• Delivery Van Branding suits closed panel vans.
• Truck Branding handles larger commercial vehicles.
• Fleet Branding and Rollouts repeat a design across many vehicles.

Most bakkie owners start with doors and tailgate, then add canopy branding.

Viewing distance and size. As a rough guide, many designers allow around 25 mm of letter height per 10 m of viewing distance. Tailgate text should be large enough for following traffic, while door text works at smaller sizes.

Canopy surface. Fibreglass canopies often have gel-coat textures and gaps. Vinyl needs smooth, clean areas, and edges should end at joins.

Load use. Load bin sides take knocks, so we keep graphics inside the safest areas and use tough film.

Aftermarket parts. Canopies, bull bars and roll bars change layout. Tell us about accessories before design.

Rules. Commercial and emergency vehicles may have prescribed markings. Check with the relevant authority.

• Single or double cab and the size of canopy
• Number of positions branded
• Cut vinyl versus printed graphics
• Reflective and specialty film
• Design work and revisions
• Preparation and old lettering removal
• Number of vehicles in a fleet
• Panels needing extra surface preparation

Send photographs and your logo through Request a Quote.

Allow the adhesive to settle before washing. Hand wash with a soft mitt and keep pressure jets away from edges. Dust, mud and sun are hard on canopy graphics, so rinse them regularly. Check for lifting at edges after rough use and repair early. For removal at resale or before a new design, see Vehicle Branding Removal.

We brand bakkies and work vehicles across Gauteng. Vehicle inspections and fitment are arranged by appointment from our base in Rivonia, Sandton.

• Signage in Johannesburg
• Signage in Sandton
• Signage in Midrand
• Signage in Centurion
• Signage in Germiston
• Signage in Roodepoort