3 Successful Retail Brand Activation Tours to Inspire You

Experiential brand activation tours can be an incredibly valuable way to boost brand awareness and loyalty when launching a new product. Not only do activation events allow you to introduce your brand to a new audience, but it allows them to try out your products firsthand, which is the first step in building a lasting relationship with your consumer base. It allows them to build associations between your brand and positive experiences, which you should then continue to build upon with online tools like engaging social media content and digital media campaigns.  

Are you looking for inspiration for an activation tour to help boost your retail brand? These experiential campaigns from House of Suntory, Life Is Good, and Gatorade are fun and effective examples of experiential tours for retail brands done right. 

House of Suntory Tiny House Tour
Mobile Sampling

In 2019, the House of Suntory launched an activation for their new generation of spirits in the form of a sleek, modern experiential tour, which was inspired by Japanese hospitality. Brought to life by experiential marketing agency GRADIENT and Craftsmen Industries, the experience invited guests to to try their new vodka, gin, and whiskey in the form of artfully crafted cocktails. A completely branded drop-to-the-ground trailer served as the main focus of the event, hosting an interior bar area as well as a spiral staircase which led to a roof with a seating area. Additionally, there was an outdoor bar, extra seating, tables, and branding elements which were installed at each setup location to make the atmosphere even more welcoming. By the end of the national tour, 8,778 cocktails had been served to nearly 19,000 attendees. The tour had been written about in 41 media outlets and mentioned in 140 social media stories. The social reach of the tour amounted to 824.2K users.

Life Is Good #GROWtheGood Tour
Mobile Retail & Community Outreach

In an effort to connect with the younger generation, optimistic lifestyle brand Life Is Good reached out to Inspira Marketing Group to create a youth-oriented activation tour centered around the themes of gratitude and giving back. To achieve this, the brand had Craftsmen Industries custom-finish and modify Airstream exhibit trailers which they took around the country to raise awareness and promote their branding with the social campaign #GROWtheGood. Through details like custom interior retail graphics design, recessed ceiling lighting, rubber tile flooring, 3D displays, and an eight-foot road side stage, the trailer was able to grab guests’ attention and encourage them to play onsite games like Jenga and cornhole, add their own contributions to the 8-foot tall Gratitude Jar, interact with their social campaign, and buy branded merchandise. Life Is Good also highlighted their passion for community by partnering with local organizations and donating 100% of their profits from the tour to the Life Is Good Kids Foundation. At the end of the 8 week nationwide campaign, the Airstream trailer had visited 40 communities across America, spanning 3,000 miles. The brand made valuable connections with fans and organizations across the country, and generated $1 million for kids in need.

Gatorade Mobile Locker Room
New Product Launch

Fathom Communications, a New York Promotions Agency, was challenged by their client, Gatorade, to bring Gatorade’s new line of performance drinks to one of Gatorade’s major target audiences: student athletes. The G Series mobile locker room tour stressed the importance of proper hydration for high-performance athletes across the U.S. A 53’ double expandable trailer was built to resemble a fully-functional mobile locker room. High school students received educational tips on healthy eating habits, proper training and hydration strategies. The students had the opportunity to be some of the first high school athletes in the country to test the new G Series sports performance products. The products were designed by Gatorade scientists in collaboration with the world’s greatest athletes to provide fuel, fluids and nutrients before, during and after workouts, practices or games.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of product activation tours, visit our Experiential Mobile Marketing Vehicles page or other variations such as custom trade show exhibits for more information. As one of the leading manufacturers of mobile marketing trailers, our team can walk you through the different options available to you so that you can make the best option for your company.