Photo: Joel Cunningham
Have you ever seen a car commercial on TV and wondered where those big red bows come from? You’re not the only one—Capital One Bank even assembled an entire fact sheet about them. As silly and over-the-top as it is, there’s no denying that a car with a huge bow on it offers a certain sort of appeal. If it is an appeal that appeals to you, here’s how to buy a gigantic bow of your very own—just in time for the holidays.
Although it’s obvious in retrospect, it had never occurred to me that those comically large bows were something you could just buy. (I mean, the car companies have to get them somewhere, right?) As it turns out, you can get them just about anywhere you like: Amazon, Etsy, Walmart, and Michaels all sell at least one option, and they’re not the only retailers that do. Most options fall into the classic “big red bow” category, but there are plenty of other colors, styles, and sizes available too. Some are even waterproof—which is nice if it rains and/or snows in December where you live—and magnetized, so you can literally slap them on the roof of the car.
One thing to keep in mind when ordering a huge, silly bow is assembly. Many cheaper options require you to arrange the loops yourself, which could make for a sad, lopsided, decidedly unprofessional-looking end result. However, there’s an argument to be made that this option is funnier than a perfect bow; if you’re going for laughs, assembling it yourself could actually be preferable. (And if you give someone a car and they complain about the bow, I say take the car back.)
Speaking of laughs, there’s no reason that new cars should have all the fun (and not just because buying someone a brand new car for Christmas is unrealistically expensive for most people). An oversized bow is a great gag and the perfect finishing touch for any number of presents; don’t be afraid to have a little fun with it.
