Fleet managers often think of vans and trucks in terms of function. They want the most efficient vehicles to help techs get the job done. But service vehicles have other, less obvious benefits, such as advertising potential.

Take the Toronto Maple Leaf’s antiperspirant-themed Zamboni. The vehicle that resurfaces and smooths the hockey team’s ice rink doubles as an in-arena advertisement for Right Guard deodorant.

The Zamboni features a larger-than-life stick of deodorant that looks like it’s being applied to the ice. Pending a design change to improve safety, the vehicle will take to the rink for future games. “The NHL was supportive of the Zamboni concept, and see it, as we do, as an innovative new in-arena promotion for one of our partners,” Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment spokesman Dave Haggith said in a statement.

While the antiperspirant-bedazzled Zamboni may be unique among ice rink service vehicles, other industries have caught on to the advertising potential of their trucks and vans. A single commercial van with an effective exterior “wrap” operating within a major city can generate up to 16 million visual impressions per year, according to a study from the American Trucking Association. In the same report, 96 percent of fleet managers said that fleet graphics have more impact than billboards or other outdoor media. Check out these examples of tricked-out fleets:

Heineken draws eyes to one truck look like a giant can of the brewing giant’s beer:

Image via Pinterest/Fleet Advertising

The Public Market on Granville Island, British Columbia, makes a cement truck look fresh with innovative produce-themed wraps.

Image via Pinterest/Arete Digital Imaging

Amtrak makes five branded SUVs look like suitcases to promote Amtrak Auto Train, its vehicle transportation service.

Image via Alt Terrain

Whether field service organizations are promoting their business or another’s, fleet advertising draws eyeballs — and dollars.

h/t: Bloomberg