Mobile tour programs have a lot of benefits wrapped up in one. They often involve reusable assets, saving marketers money amid rising costs. They’re flexible, allowing teams to adjust routes to avoid hazards or maximize time. They reach a wide range of audiences, and deliver insights and results you can compare region by region. And of course, they’re often eye-catching in their own right—a mobile billboard that unpacks into an experience.
We’ve been lucky enough to explore tour stops in person this season and chat with event marketers who are working diligently behind the scenes and on the ground. Indeed, it’s not always easy to design an activation that can be efficiently packed away many times over, so we’ve gathered 10 insights and tips from some of our favorite programs that resonated with consumers around the country.
Test a one-day pop-up before going on tour.
Two years after its debut experiential pop-up in New York City, Visit Savannah took its learnings from the one-day, out-of-state activation in 2022 to launch a mobile tour that stopped in 11 cities from May to August. The original Surprisingly Savannah pop-up took place inside a white tent, but for the tour, the team saw the opportunity to upgrade the open-air footprint with more authentic décor and a functional centerpiece: a branded trolley that served as a backdrop for live music performances and a vehicle to transport and store prop and activation elements, like flowering pink dogwoods, signage, a photo booth and a teardrop trailer that served as a visitor information center. (Agency: Engage & Resonate)
Kick off the tour with a Killer stunt.
Several NFL games will be played overseas this football season, but none of them will take place in Ireland. And Jameson had something to say about that. So on Sept. 6, the Irish whiskey brand fired up a rally bus and a partnership with former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman and parked outside NFL Headquarters in New York City to make some noise—and its case for bringing a pro football game to Dublin. The stunt launched Jameson’s Touchdown in Dublin Tailgates at two NFL games in October. (Partners: 160over90; Lime Media) –K.S.
Create a colorful oasis to encourage social sharing.
Uber is traveling to 13 college campuses this fall with a bodega-inspired pop-up. Designed with Gen Z in mind, The One Shop features colorful food props, campus favorite brands, dreamy art walls and plenty of selfie spots for content creation. The shop is offering up the chance to experience Uber One for Students, the brand’s new student membership program, and only members can enter (students can register for a four-week free trial on-site) to access games, giveaways, swag and photo ops. (Agency: Invisible North)
Bring TikTok influencers in.
After its “Michael CeraVe” Super Bowl commercials, CeraVe went full Hollywood for its #CleanseLikeADerm campaign, releasing videos inspired by soap operas to debunk common cleansing misconceptions. The drama-filled spots starred actress Xochitl Gomez and TikTok influencer and dermatologist Dr. Dustin Portela (with 2.4 million TikTok followers), who joined CeraVe on its first-ever mobile tour to meet consumers and capture content for the brand. The four-city CeraVe Drama Free Cleansing Tour also invited local, social media-savvy dermatologists, like Dr. May Hall (Dr.WrinkleStopper), whose TikTok video exploring the Nashville tour stop has garnered a whopping 37.7 million views and counting. (Partners: Youth Marketing Connection; Lime Media; Coyne PR)
Connect digital trends to the IRL space.
Presenting its fall fashion collection, the Walmart Style Tour is visiting more than 40 locations across the country from New York to L.A. and Chicago to Dallas over two months. The on-brand blue Airstream opens up to create an elevated showroom with furniture, racks of clothing and mannequins extending the exterior footprint. Encouraged to “Find the things you love,” attendees can scan and shop via QR codes to have the apparel and accessories on display shipped to their homes. Plus, jumping on the color analysis trend that has had millions of TikTok users questioning whether they’re a warm spring, deep autumn or cool winter, style specialists and color analysts are on hand to help participants find their complementary season—further fine-tuning the shopping experience. (Partners: Momentum Worldwide; Lime Media)
Immerse attendees in the brand story.
King’s Hawaiian’s Pretzel Bites Mobile rolled into Manhattan’s Flatiron Plaza on Sept. 12 to officially begin the Snack House Tour, traveling the country over eight months to promote the brand’s new Soft Pretzel Bites product. Inside the Snack House, attendees walk through a multiroom experience, starting with a Hawaiian-inspired living room, complete with a lit gas fireplace etched with the King’s logo, a vintage orange refrigerator in the kitchen area, a neon sign of the bites messaging, “Too good not to share,” and décor that points to the brand’s history and Hawaiian roots. A game room features a pretzel bite bean bag chair, branded surf boards and prize boxes, while a patio area includes a swag station to personalize totes with patches, a printable photo activation and a branded tropical lounge in which to enjoy samples. Tasty. (Partners: Lime Media; Entertainment3Sixty) –R.B.
Engage all the senses.
In every corner of Hennessy’s Made for More Tour, which hit almost 20 cities across the South this summer, attendees were seeing red, literally. A bright red, branded shipping container with its doors and walls propped open revealed several interactive sampling stations that touched the senses. The standout was the scent experience. A brand ambassador spritzed two or three scents together onto a perfume test strip to create the aroma representative of one of three Hennessy signature cocktails. Then, the brand invited participants 21 and older to “Find Your Signature Hennessy Cocktail” through a quiz on a touchscreen. After which, attendees took their results into the next-door ABC Fine Wine & Spirits store to sample their personalized cocktail poured by brand reps at a canopied cart with fruit décor. Cheers to that.
Offer a personalization station that’s enticing.
Students, faculty and staff at 13 schools ranging from DePaul University to Howard University to Florida State University will get to visit the Stanley Studio H2O pop-up this fall to shop the drinkware brand’s best-selling products and new releases, plus have a chance to win merchandise. The Stanley Create customization platform will be on-site for complimentary engraving of Stanley products purchased at the pop-up. Attendees have been getting their names and initials etched into their new cups. Talk about incentivizing. (Partners: Newbridge Marketing Group; Lime Media)
Partner with a nonprofit.
Stanley Studio H2O is running in partnership with Water For People, an organization that is helping to combat the global water crisis. Likewise, BÉIS teamed up with the National Park Foundation on a monthlong road trip that saw the luggage brand pop up near national parks across the country to celebrate its new Utility Collection and encourage consumers to get outside. Throughout August, the BÉIS Camp (get it?) RV set up at shops, lodges and cafes by Yosemite, Zion, Great Smoky Mountains and Rocky Mountain National Parks, offering The BÉIS & Tackle Bar bag charm station, exclusive national park patches, coloring activities, family portrait booths and plenty of camping-themed photo ops like branded tents. (Partners: MKG; Pink Sparrow)
Set up family-friendly games and giveaways.
Ahead of back-to-school season, Shipt deployed its Snack Squad mobile tour in four cities, drawing families in with its green branded mini Airstream showcasing a variety of grocery options available for same-day delivery via Shipt. As part of the footprint, kids and parents could play games, such as a giant “tic-snack-toe” board, a larger-than-life snack-focused “Guess Who” set and a snack walk inspired by musical chairs, as well as pick up refreshments from roaming Cruizin’ Coolers. The first 50 participants received a customized bento box for school lunches, and other attendees had the chance to snag a Shipt bag filled with goodies like colored pencils, postcards, snack stickers and promo cards. (Agency: Factory 360)
Photo credit: Uber; Diane Bondareff/AP Content Services for CeraVe; Jameson; Engage & Resonate; Walmart
Related: It’s the Summer of School Buses: Insights and Tips Around This Trending Tour Vehicle
This story appeared in the Fall 2024 issue
