Motorcycle Santa Wrap
Overview
Designed a custom vehicle wrap for Motorcycle Santa, a community initiative that delivers gifts to children throughout the Rochester area during the holiday season. The project focused on transforming a plain transport bus into a recognizable and festive extension of the Motorcycle Santa brand while creating a design that was visually engaging, family-friendly, and practical for vehicle application.
Project Type: Vehicle Wrap Design
Software Used: FlexiSign
My Role
I was responsible for developing the wrap concept, creating design proofs, refining the artwork through client feedback, and preparing the final design for large-format production. I translated the client's story and goals into a vehicle graphic that balanced creativity, branding, visibility, and production considerations.
Client Story
Mike Dube, also known as "Motorcycle Santa", has been riding throughout Rochester on his motorcycle for the past 15 years, giving gifts to children on the sidewalk and at local childcare centers and shelters. This year, he decided that it was time to spread the Christmas spirit to his bus, which carries the gifts that he then delivers on his iconic motorcycle. I was lucky enough to be able to design the wrap for his bus. Check out the full story here.
Project Goals & Results
The goal of this project was to create a memorable bus wrap that extended the Motorcycle Santa experience while protecting the privacy of gifts stored inside the vehicle.
Goals
- Create a festive design that matched the existing Motorcycle Santa identity
- Develop a family-friendly visual style that connected with the community
- Cover the vehicle windows while maintaining an engaging exterior design
- Incorporate required messaging, including “Merry Christmas” and “Feliz Navidad”
- Create artwork suitable for large-format vehicle wrap production
Results
- Created a complete custom bus wrap featuring original artwork, holiday graphics, and branding elements
- Developed a design that transformed a plain vehicle into a recognizable community attraction
- Adapted the concept based on client feedback, budget considerations, and production needs
- Delivered a final wrap design that received strong client approval and helped expand the Motorcycle Santa experience
Process
Client Consultation
The project began by learning about Motorcycle Santa’s mission, audience, and vision for the bus. I considered how the design could capture the excitement of his holiday deliveries while remaining approachable for children, families, and the wider community. The original bus was white and had some preexisting graphics.
Santa In Action
Before developing the final concept, I reviewed images of Motorcycle Santa delivering gifts throughout the Rochester community. Seeing the motorcycle, sidecar, and interaction with families helped guide the design direction and ensured the wrap reflected the personality, energy, and purpose behind the project.
Initial Design Concept
I developed an initial wrap concept featuring a bold holiday theme inspired by Motorcycle Santa’s existing motorcycle, incorporating festive colors, custom artwork, and seasonal messaging. The first proof explored a red background to match the motorcycle and included a more rugged interpretation of the Santa character.
Client Feedback & Design Iteration
Based on client feedback and production considerations, I refined the concept by adjusting the color palette, simplifying the character design, and making changes to better align with the family-friendly nature of the project. I also considered cost-effective design choices, such as adjusting background treatments to reduce print complexity.
Final Design Refinement
The final concept incorporated a snowy winter scene, Christmas lights, larger typography, and a sidecar filled with gifts to better represent the Motorcycle Santa identity. These refinements strengthened the storytelling while improving visibility and impact on the vehicle.
Final Results
I prepared the final wrap artwork for large-format production, ensuring the design was properly formatted for vehicle application and that key elements remained readable across the different surfaces of the bus.
Client response: "I am blown away, that is really something. Thant Santa is just too cool. I absolutely love all the pine trees and snow in the background and the lettering. My hats off to your designers."
Takeaways
This project really pushed me creatively and technically. Designing a bus wrap that would still look good across window panels, especially over the rubber seams, was tricky. It also took some effort to create a Santa illustration that was fun and accurately portrayed Motorcycle Santa. On top of the creative challenges, it was a large-scale job, so I had to think strategically. By keeping the background white to match the vehicle’s color, I was able to skip wrapping the roof entirely and save money on materials. This taught me that a design can still be beautiful while also being cost-effective.
Successes
One of the most rewarding parts of this project was the client's response. His email said:
"I am blown away. That is really something. That Santa is just too cool. I absolutely love all the pine trees and snow in the background, and the lettering. My hats off to your designers. Thank you. I know it sounds crazy, but I can't wait for Christmas."
That kind of reaction reminded me why I love what I do. The design not only captured the holiday spirit but also honored the heart behind the project, bringing joy to kids in need. It felt good to be part of something bigger.
Changes
If I were to make any changes, I’d probably revisit some of the text colors to make certain words pop a bit more. But overall, this was one of my favorite projects. It was fun, creative, and meaningful. I’m really proud of how it turned out.
Contact
I’m always excited to connect and discuss new opportunities, projects, or collaborations. Whether you have a question, a project idea, or want to work together, feel free to reach out!