The bumper sticker can be simply described as a message printed on an adhesive material displaying a message and attached to the rear bumper of a motor vessel. The material used in the process to create a sticker can range from paper bumper stickers to more durable vinyl or plastic coated stickers. The main aim of a bumper sticker is to create a sticker of which the material will last as long as possible and have a means of removing the bumper stickers should the need arise.
The various applications that made the use of stickers so popular started with the oval sticker and then followed the town sticker. The town sticker was initially the crest of arms of the town or city followed by its name. This sticker become immensely popular among the camping community and they attached the bumper stickers to the rear bumper of their caravan or trailer to proudly present a record of their travels.
The next step in the progress of bumper stickers was the promotion of government elections and this type of bumper sticker still represent a fair amount of any official election campaign. The use of stickers can include logos to either present the reader with information or to signify certain believes or preferences by the owner. Examples is political party, clubs, outdoor activity and church affiliations.
The first type of stickers were attached to the bumpers with wires and at later years followed by the use of adhesive tape. There was also a stage where screen-printed cardboard was used to make bumper signs from and was a crude form of sticker. Certain countries however such as Sweden has regulations that prohibit the application of bumper stickers on vehicles and this has moved the sticker to the rear window of the vehicles. The residents of the United Kingdom has not been very comfortable with the use of bumper stickers and the use of a sticker on certain expensive luxury vehicles is a rare sight in most countries around the globe. The Ferrari motor company use stickers on some parts on their high performance vehicles as a means to promote the brand.