Static Cling's Staying Power

Static cling labels continue to stick as a promotional necessity.

They hold fast, reposition with ease and leave no sticky residues. They are static cling labels, and they can be placed on almost any smooth, clean surface—including glass, plastic and some metals.

Such traits create an attractive option for customers seeking just the right adherence for just the right application. And, according to many manufacturers, ad specialties and product promotions are just those applications. As a result, clingy labels can be found on high-exposure areas including storefronts, drive-through windows and car windshields.

The latter is one of the top reasons New Albany, Indiana-based Discount Labels gets static cling label requests.

"The bulk of our business comes by way of parking permits and oil change service reminders,"

said Mike Vejar, vice president of sales and marketing. "But a recent boom in the business is due to people's desire to move away from bumper stickers and toward window signage instead."

Having produced static clings for the past 10 years, Vejar said that it has only been in more recent years that customers have begun to realize the label's potential and, as a result, have found more reasons to use them. After all, he added, static cling labels are not only easy to adhere and remove, but they tend to last a long time.

"I just took an old static cling parking permit off my windshield that was there for eight years," said Vejar. "It would have kept sticking, but I received a new permit to replace it with."

John Shanley, president of Labels West, Woodinville, Wash., has also experienced a growth in static cling label requests. "We've been producing these labels for about 10 years and they are definitely more popular today," he said. "With the vast majority of them being produced for promotional reasons, the demand keeps increasing."