# Car commercial license plates

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-commercial-license-plates/218266
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 11, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-commercial-license-plates/218266 "2003-12-11T03:54:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 9

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### Author: ![Redsland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Redsland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redsland)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-commercial-license-plates/218266/9 "2003-12-13T01:35:03Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Balthisar \*  
> \*\ ***Redsland** , I’ve never noticed – do you put _front_ plates on cars? That would look strange here in Michigan (not strange so much, but an instant knowledge that the car’s not from Michigan).
> 
> Or do you market differently according to region? I imagine that’s got to be done to some extent. \*\*

The decision about whether to use a front plate is made on a case-by-case basis. If you’re doing a _national_ TV spot, you probably wouldn’t use one since, as you point out, it would look strange to some viewers. If, on the other hand, you’re shooting a _regional_ TV spot, you would follow the local custom.

In a print piece, unlike in broadcast, you can only show a portion of the vehicle. If you’re showing the back end, you’d use a plate. If you’re showing the front end, you usually do not place a plate UNLESS your ad’s concept involves delivering some message via the plate’s letters. Like if you were nose-on and tight with a Pontiac and the front plate said “ZoomZoom,” or whatever.

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