Daily Mirror - Print Edition

Start-up introduces tuk tuk advertising medium

10 Aug 2016 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}      

Co-founded by three entrepreneurs from backgrounds ranging from sound engineering to business management, Angelo Portier, Charitha Rasaputra and Fazi Bin Jameel collaborate with the ever-growing tuk tuk community to introduce a new medium of advertising in Sri Lanka.


Chapzi works by placing weather-proof stickers on either side of the tuk tuk, which is ideal for brand awareness and visibility. A customized LED backlit display board is mounted to the back of the driver’s seat, which enables the content to be displayed on the inside of the tuk tuk, which is the heart of engagement. '


Finally, Chapzi concludes its options by introducing something which is known to the team as a ‘Chapzi Wrap’. This is a customized vinyl wrap that covers the entire metal body of the tuk tuk for a more salient impact for branding.'


“An average tuk tuk ride is about 15 to 20 minutes, during which the Chapzi LED board is at eye level and captivates the passenger’s attention for the entirety of the journey. This time is ideal for engaging the passenger with content displayed on the board. As it gets darker, the tuk driver will switch his lights on, which will automatically illuminate the board, offering prominent night-time visibility,” said Charitha. 
The safety and quality of the advertisements placed in the tuk tuks are guaranteed by monthly checks and photographic proof.


Any visitor to a major city such as London should be familiar with the advertisements that are usually placed inside taxi cabs and public transport. Chapzi are proud to be able to provide this option for the first time in Sri Lanka for a fraction of the cost of conventional advertising, thereby providing excellent value for money.


Co-founder Angelo Portier said that the benefits of advertising inside three-wheelers are manifold. They are like mobile billboards that are visible to a captive audience, at any time of day. 
As there are more than 380,000 tuk tuks in Colombo and over a million tuk tuks islandwide, Chapzi looks forward to becoming a major player in the advertising sector. Unlike other forms of outdoor marketing, with Chapzi you are able to select your target audience by selecting the areas you wish to advertise in as well as by the profile of the passengers using the tuk tuks. 
“To become a Chapzi tuk, a filtering process takes place,” said Fazi.


“We choose tuks that are new, well maintained, with no other branding, stickers or slogans. As we are working with reputed clients, it is vital that their image and reputation are maintained,” Fazi concluded.