We love a branded moment. And one of the fun things about summer (or warm weather) is the way brands also have their own “summer fun”. Over the years, the trend towards mobile brand activations has taken off, so today we’re reflecting on the ones that have lived in our head rent free ever since. There’s also a deep design element required to create these head-turning moments — independent art directors like Lexie Tiongson and shops like Food Truck Promotions bring brand visions to life and create an outside-the-box experience, well, inside a box.
Freda Salvador’s “Diego the Trailer”
Not only do we love that they named the trailer, but this little guy packed a punch. The Bay-area based footwear brand Freda Salvador was able to take Diego The Trailer on the road, from SF and Oakland to Marfa, TX to Los Angeles and back. I distinctly remember seeing this trailer on Instagram when it was first introduced around 2018 and it allowed the brand to connect with new customers, forge relationships for exciting wholesale opportunities and spread brand awareness in a very on-brand “Freda Girl” way. I'm proud of owner two pairs of Freda Salvador shoes and love how they reimagined their retail store concept into this tiny trailer.
Ralph’s Coffee
The coffee house extension of the Ralph Lauren brand is iconic. You may have seen the chicest of New Yorkers touting their coffee cups, and of course Ralph’s Coffee has the chops to boot. Ralph’s Coffee represents the timeless American spirit of the Ralph Lauren brand. Since the days of their little coffee truck (pictured below) - the brand has blown up globally. Just one look at their Instagram is an instant delight…BRB the coffee craving is hitting hard.
Amelia’s Flower Truck
I had the privilege of connecting with this brand in Nashville for an event a few years back. They, and their flowers, were fabulous. An extension of their brick-and-mortar flower shop, Amelia’s Flower Truck - a cheeky converted VW truck - showed up at one of our events and arranged cute little custom floral arrangements for the brand’s bud vases. The flowers were a hit and since Amelia’s was already well known around Nashville, it created extra buzz for our brand event.
Summer Fridays
It’s no secret that Summer Fridays kills it in the experiential marketing and general brand game. From their Soft Serve Truck to their Scoop Shop and Pizza Club Pop-Up in celebration of their 5th birthday, they always serve each activation with the most on point aesthetic brand identity and merchandise, working with the likes of Lexie Tiongson for the Soft Serve truck and Whitney Badge for the NYC pizza pop-up. The buzz is always big and the lines are always long, the signs of a successful experiential marketing campaign.
We love watching brands big and small get creative to reach new audiences with new ideas. Let us know if we missed any great ones on wheels!
Until next time,
Margo