The oval sticker or often referred to as the Euro sticker had its origin in 1969 when the United Nations decided to identify the origin of vehicle travelling through Europe. The traditional way of identification through number plates started to get confusing as many looked virtually the same from a distance. Their sizes were uniform and colours could be distorted in extreme weather conditions.
The answer was found in oval shaped bumper stickers that contained a maximum number of three alphabetical digits or letters. The size of the letters were standardized at 9 inches tall by 6 inches wide and the style had to be capital Latin characters painted in black on a white background. The oval bumper stickers needed to be an elliptical form where the major axis was horizontal.
Examples of oval stickers are Australia indicated by AUS and the United Kingdom as GB. The fact that most European countries are in close proximity to each other and the trade between them is conducted on very regular basis this means of sticker identification has made the recognition and origin of vehicles easier.
The use of this oval sticker has also created a market for collectors worldwide to collect the various bumper stickers and as new areas become listed or changed this was reflected in their collections. National pride has also played a role as citizens living in other countries proudly displayed their oval bumper stickers, albeit of different sizes to indicate their heritage and nationality when either travelling or moving abroad.
This practical idea has been instrumental in creating a complete and exciting new market and the use of bumper stickers has become a huge market that covers a vast range of applications and uses. From marketing to promoting the election of civil servants this is one of the most used tools in the world today and examples of its effective uses are evident around the globe.
Stickers from the oval sticker to the marketing or promotional bumper stickers is bound to become even more popular during the future as our eyes are subconsciously drawn to the message it displays without even being aware.