Sticky car art

Back in the sixties, the Volkswagen Beetle’s iconic curves were habitually adorned with painted daisies and peace signs. Customization is still highly popular, though more often than not it’s now an optional extra. In a world saturated with mass-produced products, Volkswagen UK has jumped on the custom-made bandwagon by offering customers the option to decorate their brand New Beetle. Consumers can customize the exterior of their New Beetle with special vinyl stickers, called Beetle Art, created by four up-and-coming artists and illustrators: Mibo, Parra, Steve Wilson and Jamie Cullen. The accompanying microsite lets prospective customers configure their desired car, choosing a body style (hatchback or cabriolet), body colour and decal design. They can pick from and try different colours for each of the decals. The durable vinyl decals can last for up to five years, are guaranteed for three years and cost from GBP 45 for a single panel to GBP 200 for an entire car. It’s a cost efficient way for consumers to distinguish their very own Beetle from the rest. And if they change their mind or want to sell? Unlike painted hippie art, the stickers can be removed without harm to the paintwork. Of course, going the full customer-made route would mean letting customers design their own decals. One for next year, or for another car brand?