Hong Kong Advertising Vehicle Resource Centre

New to advertising vehicles? Start here

Mobile promotional vehicles, also called advertising trucks or mobile billboards, use vehicle graphics or onboard LED screens to carry brand messages along selected routes, at chosen times and through stationary events near target audiences.

The difference from fixed billboards goes beyond movement. Mobile vehicles let brands decide where to go, when to appear, what to show and whether to include distribution or interaction. Plan vehicle, route, content, duration and measurement together.

Many names for related services

Different terminology can make first-time customers think they are comparing unrelated products. In Hong Kong, these names mostly describe the same service family or its subtypes:

A five-step reading order

If this is your first enquiry, follow these steps, each informing the next decision:

1. Understand mobile advertising, basic vehicles, costs and rules
2. Compare LED, mini, exhibition, stage and vintage vehicles
3. Estimate the complete budget using the pricing formula
4. Plan routes, times and coverage around your audience
5. Check FAQs on licensing, parking, design, LED playback and hire

If you already have a goal, such as a store opening next month with HK$50,000, jump to find answers by question below and choose relevant articles.

Start Here

Selected beginner guides

These articles answer one central question: how do you decide what you need without knowing industry terminology?They break the broad advertising-vehicle concept into five decisions: vehicle, display medium, route, duration and measurement.

After these four guides, you should know where your audience is, whether content must change and whether on-site staff are needed. These answers largely determine vehicle choice and budget.

Pricing

Advertising vehicle pricing and budget guides

Quotations are difficult to compare partly because there is no single definition of “one day”. Some suppliers offer eight hours within 10 am–10 pm; others allow nine hours from arrival at the target location. Typical overtime is HK$200–300 per hour. The service behind an identical HK$5,000 daily rate can differ by more than 10%.

Published market prices: a budgeting reference

The following third-party Hong Kong prices help assess whether a quotation is broadly in line with the market.They are not PEAKVEIN quotations; actual charges follow the formal quotation.

Other public industry analysis places standard Hong Kong LED truck hire at around HK$2,500–5,500 per day, usually including a driver, basic fuel and tunnel tolls, with overtime charged separately. Vehicle size, screen specifications, hours and inclusions explain the large variation.

Three commonly overlooked cost factors

• Vehicle graphics are a one-off investment: Design, printing and application costs arise for a one-day or one-month hire, so longer use spreads them over more days. This helps explain lower average daily costs beyond simple discounts.
• Travel consumes usable hours: Harbour crossings and long transfers trade exposure time for coverage. Two hours of travel in an eight-hour day removes a quarter of effective exposure.
• Peak-season availability premiums: Lunar New Year, Christmas, major exhibitions and concerts constrain vehicles and staff. Later confirmation can increase costs.

These figures come from published Hong Kong rental-platform prices and public industry analyses. They are market references, not PEAKVEIN quotations.

Routes & Districts

Routes and campaign strategies across Hong Kong's 18 districts

“All 18 districts” sounds comprehensive, but administrative boundaries are not a campaign strategy. Residential populations, commuters, street scale and parking differ; broad coverage does not guarantee effective coverage。

Using official population data to choose districts

Census and Statistics Department figures for 2024 show the largest populations in Sha Tin, at around 704,000, followed by Yuen Long, at around 677,000 and Kwun Tong, at around 668,000. For population density by land area, Kwun Tong was the highest at around 59,000 people per square kilometre, followed by Sham Shui Po at about 47,000 people/km² and Wong Tai Sin at 44,000. Islands, Tai Po and North District have lower densities.

Population figures are taken from the Census and Statistics Department's 2024 district statistics and are used here only to explain campaign planning.

Driving and stationary activity serve different purposes

Driving brings coverage and repetition; stopping brings dwell time, interaction and conversion. Parking restrictions in commercial districts, transport stops, tunnels, controlled areas and no-stopping zones often prevent long stays. A practical approach is to host stationary activities at shops, shopping centres, private venues or approved locations, using streets for driving coverage. Most effective campaigns combine both.

Production & Technology

Vehicle production, wraps and LED specifications

Production is vulnerable to delays for two reasons: unpredictable revision rounds and minimum physical printing and application time. Market information suggests around 14 days for printing and installation. With design and revisions, production often takes one or two weeks longer than expected.

Working backwards to plan production

With a fixed event date, work backwards:

• 14 days before: finish printing stickers and begin application
• 21–28 days before: finalise the design with no further changes.
• 35 days before: begin design and confirm actual vehicle dimensions and panel layouts.
• For stages or temporary structures, the 42-day licence application deadline means planning must begin earlier

Specifications to clarify

Graphics and added equipment must be securely installed without obstructing visibility, mandatory lights, reflectors or registration marks. LED performance depends on brightness in nits, pixel pitch, resolution and viewing distance, not diagonal size alone. Smaller pitch supports closer viewing on pedestrian streets; larger pitch suits longer distances and faster roads.

Campaign Planning

Openings, food, festivals and brand events

The same vehicle needs different routes, times and content for openings, food, launches and property campaigns. These guides address when to deploy, for how many days and at what hours in practical schedules.

Matching event formats and timing

One common issue is that product embargoes can conflict with vehicle production deadlines: stickers need completion about two weeks before the event while product details remain confidential. Put changing content on LED and non-confidential brand elements on the body.

Compliance & Measurement

Rules, rental practice and measurement

Roads, venues, sound, food and event licences involve different authorities and deadlines. Check these three frequently decisive requirements before confirming dates.

Three rules that strongly affect execution

This information comes from the Noise Control Ordinance, FEHD and Transport Department publications and is general reference, not legal advice. Follow current official requirements and individual approval conditions.

Four levels of performance measurement

Hong Kong lacks a common public outdoor-exposure audit standard, making estimated exposure the weakest evidence. Build measurement in this order:

1. Execution records: Actual routes, times, stationary duration, photos, videos and playback archives
2. On-site data: Samples, handouts, participants and scans
3. Attribution data: Actual conversions through dedicated QR codes, discounts, short links, bookings or registration forms
4. Exposure estimates: Footfall-based exposure and CPM, for comparison only

Treat older industry studies carefully. The often-quoted “97% message recall” figure comes from a US study around 2002, with a different period, market and method from today's Hong Kong.

Quick Answers

find answers by question

Have a specific question? These 16 common questions point directly to relevant articles:

Official sources and references

Our regulatory, statistical and industry guidance prioritises public official sources. These commonly cited categories help readers check current versions:

Government information may change. Articles reflect public information available when written; confirm event-specific approvals and conditions with the authorities.

How we approach accuracy

Our guides cover prices, specifications, road rules, demographics, licences and results. These principles prevent information from different years, markets or suppliers being mistaken for universal standards:

• Identify the type of figure: Distinguish supplier prices, official statistics, manufacturer specifications, third-party cases and worked examples
• Do not present others' campaigns as our own: Name the original operator and explain why a public case is cited
• Date older research: The often-cited 97% recall figure comes from a US study around 2002 and should not be applied directly to Hong Kong
• Do not confuse residential density with street footfall: Population statistics describe residents; daytime commercial-area commuting needs separate analysis
• Prioritise official rules: Consult current Transport Department, FEHD, Environmental Protection Department, Labour Department and other official guidance
• Reference prices are not formal quotations: Use market figures for budgeting and comparison; actual charges depend on date, vehicle, routes, hours, equipment and contract
• Label estimates separately from facts: Clearly identify worked examples and hypothetical scenarios rather than mixing them with official data

PEAKVEIN has nearly ten years of promotional-vehicle event experience, with its own designed and owned fleet across all 18 districts. Learn about our background and working approach on the About PEAKVEIN; browse vehicle types on the Our services。

Frequently asked questions