Will It Wrap? Exploring City Wraps for Urban Zones

Bold, colorful, and larger-than-life, city wraps turn ordinary objects into works of art. Cities across the U.S. are adding wraps to water towers, recycling bins, floors, escalators, utility boxes, and many other urban objects.

The results are beautiful, but the reasoning behind it goes far beyond beautification alone. City wraps turn mundane objects into opportunities for communication, camaraderie, environmental graphic design, and a positive approach to vandalism prevention.

They’re affordable. They’re durable. They’re easy to clean. Plus, people love them. Members of your community can stroll through their streets and see fun, uplifting images that remind them of great things about their city.

Lila Smith, project manager for Minneapolis’ SECIA Utility Box Project, was pleased to see the wraps’ positive effect in her community. “It shows we care about our neighborhood,” she says. “Wrapped boxes are less likely to get tagged [with graffiti] and much easier to clean. We have had notes from a couple commuters through or neighborhood thanking us.”

Here’s a look at how city officials can use this type of urban graphic design to benefit their communities.

Why Use City Wraps?

The urban objects in your city see a lot of wear and tear. A garbage bin or utility box typically looks a bit banged-up and grubby. City wraps give a fresh, long-lasting upgrade to objects like these.

There’s also the potential for weather damage and exposure to heat, cold, fading, and scratching. Perhaps your city has issues with air quality or seasonal hurricanes. No worries - these wraps are designed to deal with extreme weather and wear. Even after years of exposure, they remain strong and glisten with bright color.

If you’re familiar with indoor vinyl adhesives, it’s worth noting that these outdoor wraps have a different construction and installation method that’s specific to exterior use. They’re made of tough, weather-resistant vinyl or fabric that can take heavy public wear.

How Are They Installed?

First, your city representative works with a print specialist to map out each specific object that will be wrapped. Vomela has a professional design staff and has done thousands of these installations, so the process flows expertly and efficiently.

No matter the surface - glass, aluminum, brick, etc. - there’s a design and installation solution. All wraps can be on-brand and relevant across your entire city-wide campaign, no matter the surface or location.

How Do City Wraps Help Cities?

City Wraps help city officials address multiple needs that come with urban planning and public access.

Durability. Anything your city maintains must be able to withstand the elements, like sunlight, temperature, and constant human interaction. These wraps are extremely durable.

Aesthetics. City Wraps are beautiful. They’re a form of mural art that can be designed to fit any style, color scheme, theme, or shape. Incorporate the artwork of local artists, hold a community-wide art competition, or ask us to design something special.

Vandalism prevention. Wrapped objects are less likely to be vandalized, and if they do get covered in graffiti, it can be removed quickly and easily with a special cleaner solution.

Smart budgeting. Over time, wraps protect your urban objects and help them last longer. Wraps can be designed to fit any city’s budget, including considerations for seasonality, oversize objects, shipping, and materials.

Timing. If you have a tight time frame to provide a wrapping solution, this is an option that can hit deadlines while meeting public expectations.

Why Should We Use a Specialty Graphics Provider?

The Vomela Companies partners with 3M to provide only the highest quality service using the highest quality materials. Our 3M-certified installers do the job right the first time.

A specialty graphics provider like Vomela understands what it takes to bring a graphic design to life on the streets of a busy city. We never let anything slip through the cracks, down to the tiniest detail. City Wraps are a smart buy for any city government.

Curious About Adding City Wraps to Your City?