Novelty license plates are becoming increasingly popular across North America. While Saskatchewan has a relatively small selection of three alternatives - regular, veteran, and Roughriders - other places are making an increasingly large number of variations. Ontario, for example has over 70 variations, and some US states have variations that allow motorists to express their support for every cause possible.
One of the concerns about this increase in license plate variations is that it is bad for marketing. If a province or state wants to have their jurisdiction have a consistent brand, then these new plates will not help. The color schemes can vary wildly, the slogans printed can be anything at all, and the plate's origin can be lost in all the new attempts at personal expression.
This is a sentiment echoed by SGI, and exhibited on the plates available in this province. While the veteran's plate has a graphic in the corner, the rest of the design is consistent with the provincial color scheme. The Roughrider plate is even less of a departure from the standard line, since the logo is green and white anyway, it doesn't change much from the traditional Saskatchewan template. All variations are consistent.
Does that actually matter very much? In a sense, the marketing people are arguing that the plates themselves are a marketing ploy. People who see them when the drivers go on road trips are going to want to visit the places where these amazing license plates came from, and will get a glimpse of the lifestyle embodied by a green and white color scheme.
But how many people are going to actually pay that much attention? While an unfamiliar plate can be attention grabbing, it's not necessarily going to lead to extra tourism. Manitoba or Alberta plates are relatively common in this province, and blend in just as much as the standard plate. While a car from further away can get attention, I find I think more about the car's suitability for a cross country journey than the marketing message the plate is supposed to carry.
The idea behind novel plates is that, since you pay extra for the privilege, it will help support charities and groups on the plate and also bring a bit extra in for the licensing authorities. That's a noble goal, and it makes plenty of sense to do so. It also does as much for the branding as having a consistent look. If people are more likely to take a second glance when they seen unfamiliar plates on a vehicle, then having a wide variety of unfamiliar plates is going to garner more attention. The only other way to get people to look at your plates is to drive really badly, which is not a positive marketing message at all.
There's also the fact that the majority of these plates stay near home. I know Saskatchewan is a good place, I live here, and I haven't moved away yet. I'm pretty sure seeing Saskatchewan license plates are not why I've stuck to my home province.
Naturally not everyone would want an alternate plate, and I'll keep mine because I have grown strangely fond of it. But giving people the option to put something else back there isn't going to weaken the brand of a place, it'll just give a different reason to look back there.
