The Economics of Squad Car Advertising

There has been at least one story every day for the past three weeks about police car advertising. Government Acquisitions, the North Carolina based company offers to provide a fully functional squad car to municipalities for $1. In today's economy, that is practically impossible to turn down.

Personally, as an ad medium, I am against it. It is like ads in the high school yearbook or ads in a church membership directory. Some things should remain adfree. While I see the economics of it, it just doesn't fit even in this fast moving world of commercialism.

Having said that, it all depends of the execution of this program. Are the cars going to look like Indy 500 Logomobiles or are they going to be selective and tasteful in approach. Time will tell.

Many police departments will give it chance. The trouble is, it will be near impossible for departments to stop once they start as the squad car money will have reallocated or cut from the budget. Very careful and clear thinking needs to go into this before a move is made.

Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - Officials ponder advertising on squad cars

Government Acquisitions, Inc., a North Carolina-based company, is offering to lease new squad cars to municipalities for $1 a year in exchange for allowing companies, such as McDonalds, to place their logos or ads on the squads.

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