06.28.19
By Lisa Major
The Moxie Nerve Food Company was onto something in the late 1800s when they came up with the idea to promote and distribute their carbonated beverage with a giant branded bottle attached to a horse-drawn carriage. The Moxie Bottle Wagon visited fairs and amusement parks throughout the northeast United States and paved the way for other brands to promote their products to consumers where they work, live, and play.
Photo: Moxie
Over the years, mobile marketing vehicles have evolved into incredible works of art. With jaw-dropping designs and interactive features, the vehicles generate buzz and gain media attention wherever they go. Below, we take a look at a small sampling of some of the coolest mobile marketing vehicles around.
Manifold
When the Uber Visa card launched in 2018, this double-decker bus served as a unique mobile dining experience for Uber’s most loyal customers and the media. The bus hit the streets of New York City’s culturally rich neighborhoods to promote the card and its incentives. Meanwhile, guests on board the bus were treated to community-inspired dishes prepared by celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli.
Casper, the highly successful mattress-in-a-box startup, took their product on the road with a mobile marketing Nap Tour. The Nap Tour visited 36 U.S. cities with a tricked-out trailer aptly named the Napmobile. The Napmobile was equipped with four napping pods that allowed consumers to try out Casper’s mattress (there was only one at the time) firsthand in a temperature-controlled environment complete with ambient lighting and a bedtime story.
Prototype Source
How can anyone not love a giant Goldfish cracker on wheels? The Pepperidge Farm Miles of Smiles mobile marketing tour brought smiles to people of all ages all over the country in 2002. The 13-foot high, 22-foot long Goldfish Mobile had plenty of cargo space to haul samples, toys, and games and drew a crowd at every stop.
Guaclandia, the ultimate avocado exhibit on wheels, brought avocado lovers together for a one-of-a-kind, Insta-worthy brand experience. The modified, guacamole-themed school bus traveled the country to promote the launch of Wholly Guacamole’s single serve cups. Guests were treated to an array of interactive elements including multiple photo-ops, an avocado-inspired arcade, a ball pit, and lots of cool swag.
Milo’s Kitchen proved food trucks aren’t just for humans. In 2014, the pet treat company hit the road with an oversized food truck visiting cities coast-to-coast. The “Treat Truck” served up Milo’s homemade treats to pups through a doggie-height serving window. The tour footprint also featured an outdoor seating area complete with artificial turf and a white picket fence for dogs and their parents to chill. And because doggies love swag, too, there were plenty of giveaways for the fur kids.
Roadside Wonders
The Kissmobile made its debut in 1997 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Hershey’s Kisses. Various versions of the 25-foot truck stacked with three 8-foot Kisses traveled the country for over a decade visiting festivals, fairs, parades, and children’s hospitals. With the capacity to hold 230,000 Kisses at any given time, the Kissmobile’s touring staff distributed millions of Kisses over the course of the campaign.
Optimum Nutrition hosted pop-up shops on a cross-country tour to promote their line of supplements and help consumers with their fitness and nutritional goals. The Gold Standard Zone, a 27-foot custom trailer, was filled with high-tech, healthy living experiences. The trailer included physical activities and digital interactivity for a truly immersive experience based on the brand’s core values and attitude towards fitness and a healthy lifestyle.
Nescafé’s pedicab coffee shop may just be the cutest little café on the planet. The Coffee Shop Chauffer whisked college students to class while they enjoyed an on-the-go cup of joe. The campaign aimed to show students just how easy it is to make a cup of coffee using Nescafé’s single-serve instant coffee.
Intel’s Tech Learning Lab, a state-of-the-art technology showroom, visited some of the top schools in the country to demonstrate how Intel’s technology can aid educators in the classroom and prepare students for technology-driven careers. For this activation, a mobile shipping container was used. The container unfolded into a high-tech classroom filled with virtual reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, and coding stations as well as high-powered PCs and smart whiteboards.
Oscar Mayer
The Weinermobile is by far the most iconic mobile marketing vehicle of all time. In 1936, Oscar Mayer’s nephew, Karl Mayer, had the brilliant idea to design a hot dog on wheels and take it to the streets to promote the family hot dog brand. Since then, the Weinermobile has evolved with the times and has been on the road consistently for 80+ years with just a couple of exceptions. During WWII gas rations kept the Weinermobile off the road. And in the late 1970s, the company shifted its marketing focus to television ads and the vehicle was decommissioned for almost a decade. In 1986, Oscar Mayer hosted a 50th birthday celebration for the Weinermobile and the public went wild. That excitement prompted the company to take the brand back on the road (funny how that worked out, huh?).
Currently, there are eight variations of the Weinermobile traveling the U.S. at any given time.
If you need tour managers, drivers, and/or brand ambassadors for your mobile marketing activations, ATN has you covered. Contact us today to learn more about our event staffing services and how we can help you take your brand on the road!
