Bumper Stickers Explained

Bumper Stickers Explained

If you’re already an awesome Cracked subscriber, click here to login.

The first documented presidential election that used adhesive bumper stickers in political campaigns was the 1952 election between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson II.[10] Bumper stickers allowed citizens to show support for a candidate while still maintaining some anonymity.

Variants of the bumper sticker have developed in recent years, including vinyl decals meant to be applied to a car’s rear windshield, and chrome emblems to be affixed to the body of the car itself, generally on the rear (the “Jesus fish” and its “Darwin fish” counterpart are popular examples).

6 Every Horrible Thing About Social Media, In Chart Form By CRACKED Readers •June 08, 2018

Bumper stickers can be commercial, religious, secular, humorous, or in support of a sports team or other organization. They may promote or oppose a particular philosophical or political position. In some countries, such as the United States, bumper stickers are a popular way of showing support for a candidate for a government seat and become more common during election years. In others, such as the United Kingdom, they are rarely seen in any form.

More recently, bumper stickers have become a route for advertising and a few companies offer to match car owners to advertisers willing to pay for the ad.

This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (March 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

How is it possible that movie posters are still this terrible?

1 The Stupid, Stupid Logic Behind Video Games, Explained By CRACKED Readers •May 11, 2018

There are some “easy to remove” bumper stickers and magnetic bumper stickers. Bumper stickers can be removed with a razor blade, penetrating oil or a heat gun. Home remedies also include using common household items, such as WD-40 or paint thinner.

The ichthys fish symbol, which represents Christianity, and its parodies are popular bumper sticker themes.

5 Shameless Lies Video Game Companies Got Away With (Almost)

“How’s my driving” bumper stickers are often used on commercial vehicles so that employers can receive feedback about the driving habits of their employees.

A car displaying an “Obama ’08” bumper sticker alongside its license plate

One variety of bumper sticker is the country tag. This is typically used for cars crossing international borders, and is overseen by the United Nations as the Distinguishing Signs of Vehicles in International Traffic, being authorized by the UN’s Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (1949) and Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968). Often the country code is displayed on the license plate itself.

Various factors contributed to the development of the bumper sticker. Developments in material manufacturing during World War II led to the widespread use of daylight fluorescent inks, which were created by Bob Switzer and his brother Joe. These inks appeared to glow during the daytime and were useful to support various wartime activities; they were favored by early bumper sticker manufacturers after the war. In addition, the first commercially produced pressure-sensitive stickers appeared after World War II; new developments in adhesive materials led to the production of paper strips with adhesive on the back.[7] In addition, the rise of consumer use of vinyl after World War II led to the eventual use of this material in bumper stickers.

“Shirat Hasticker” (“The Sticker Song”) by Hadag Nachash is an Israeli song composed entirely of bumper sticker slogans.

1 Purpose 2 Application and removal 3 History 4 Around the world 5 Gallery 6 See also 7 References

They have also been extensively applied to rear windows as well, where legislative measures have not banned such use. For instance in Sweden that is the normal place to put them and the bumper sticker is actually called “bakrutedekal” (rear window decal).

It’s not a clever twist if the resulting paradox rips huge holes in the plot.

People who opt to exhibit their individuality through these decals may take part in more acts of road rage. Colorado State University social psychologist, William Szlemko, found that aggressive driving is linked to the number of markers a person has on his/her car, regardless of the messages portrayed.[1]

8 Dear Hollywood: These Are The Movies Fans ACTUALLY Wanted By CRACKED Readers •June 01, 2018

9 16 Famous Plot Twists That Make No Sense (Diagrammed) By CRACKED Readers •June 29, 2018

Before bumper stickers, advertisers used other methods of displaying their wares. In the horse-drawn carriage era, advertisers printed on horsefly nets with the name of a business.[3] In the 1930s and 1940s, bumper signs were printed on metal or cardboard and wired to the chrome bumpers.[4] Lester Dill, promoter of Meramec Caverns in Missouri, was an ardent adopter of the bumper sign to attract motorists to his site.[5] Using a windowshield decal was another option. These paper strips could be wetted and placed inside a car window.[6] However, these strips did not hold up well when placed on a bumper.

It’s like somebody decided that making sense would make these games less fun.

Bumper sticker supporting the 1976 Gerald Ford presidential campaign.

A bumper sticker is an adhesive label or sticker with a message, intended to be attached to the bumper of an automobile and to be read by the occupants of other vehicles—although they are often stuck onto other objects. Most bumper stickers are about 30 cm by 8 cm (12 in by 3 in) and are often made of PVC.

Many experts credit Forest P. Gill, a silkscreen printer from Kansas City, Kansas, USA, as the developer of the bumper sticker.[8][9] Gill recognized that the self-adhesive paper used during the second world war could be used to advertise promotional products in the late 1940s and beyond.

On some vehicles, some stickers are like trophy signs of World War II aeroplanes, either of locations visited or actions completed.

Cracked only offers comment voting to subscribing members. Subscribers also have access to loads of hidden content. Join now and wield the awesome power of the thumb.

These have (usually in the United States) been spun off into tags indicating a country with which the driver affiliates, or more humorously to indicate things like a region (OBX), support for rabbit rescue groups (BUN), etc.

As society progresses, so too does our need to inform other drivers on the road where we stand on, well, everything.

Literally nobody needed a whole movie fixing the parsec thing.

Bumper stickers have sparked legal issues between people and states. A man with a bumper sticker containing indecent wording was convicted. The man’s conviction was reversed during Cunningham v. State (1991). The court referenced the First Amendment, stating “the provision regulating profane words on bumper stickers reaches a substantial amount of constitutionally protected speech and unconstitutionally restricts freedom of expression”[11]

Categories: InfographicsPropaganda by mediumPropaganda techniques by mediumStickersAutomotive accessories

Early bumper stickers had printed directions on the back removable liner for applying them to the bumper of a car.[2] Due to the movement of the vehicle and changing weather conditions, the sticker needed to adhere well to the bumper surface.

Early widespread uses of the advertising bumper sticker were for tourist attractions, such as Marine Gardens, Florida, Seven Falls, Colorado, Meramec Caverns in Missouri, and Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. Another popular advertisement was the “See Rock City” sticker. In the 1940s and 1950s, visitors to the site had a sticker applied to their car, which duplicated the famous signs painted on the roofs of barns throughout the southeastern USA. Tourist attraction staff would circulate through the parking lot, applying the promotional sticker to every car.

9 21 Video Game Ads And Packages That Tell The Painful Truth By CRACKED Readers •May 25, 2018

We asked our readers to show us what those witty stickers we slap on our cars really say about us, and gave $100 to the winner …

Hidden categories: Articles that may contain original research from March 2008All articles that may contain original research

4 Life Hacks That Will Ruin Your Life By CRACKED Readers • December 03, 2017

Considerable variation exists around the world as to the context and purpose of stickers.

See also[edit] Bumper (automobile) Car Sticker Country tag References[edit]

4 18 Real Movie Posters That Are Amateurish Crap (And Why) By CRACKED Readers •June 15, 2018

The Muppets Caused 9/11: Crazy But Convincing Theory By David Christopher Bell • December 05, 2017

Bumper Stickers Explained