This van was a rockin’ and people came a knockin’

Not long ago I wrote about the boring press releases from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. And just when I thought all hope for creativity in marketing and PR was lost, I ran across a blog post written by Chris Brogan about a clever campaign put together by the folks at Griffin Technology called CES Bound.

What I liked about this campaign was that it started with a theme that is humorous and fun by nature: the road trip. Road trips trigger a flood of memories (or nightmares) that we can all relate to; mooning other drivers on the interstate (not me), fist fights with siblings in the back seat (not me), vomiting out the side window at 75 mph (not me), etc.

Griffin’s campaign, however, was far more interesting. It began with the restoration of a 1972 VW Bus named “Double Nickels” which would transport them from Griffin HQ in Nashville to the CES Show in Las Vegas – 2,500 miles in all. Along the way, people could follow their trials and tribulations on the web and/or in person at various pit stops along the way. This two-prong approach was a clever way to attract and audience and keep them engaged throughout the entire trip.

CES Bound was also a good example of how multiple departments within a company can play nice with each other to produce a superior campaign.

A few weeks back, I reached out to Dave Delaney, Griffin’s Social Media Coordinator, to learn more about CES Bound and how they put it all together.

Q: Describe the genesis of the CES Bound trip?

We had the idea of doing a road trip for sometime. The idea evolved into buying a fixer-upper and driving it to CES, it was timed perfectly with the launch of our new branding. We spent more time talking about the idea than we did formally planning it, however that was needed too.

We’re a creative bunch at Griffin. We work with so many mad scientists, that it made sense to do something a little crazy. You have to have a sense of humor to cram with four of your coworkers in a tin box with wheels for 6 days.

Q: How did you put CES Bound together?

The goal was simple, meet our fans and friends and arrive on time.

It took a little convincing of management, but as they saw the beat up old bus slowly be reborn they grew to love it. I should add that some management even got involved in the restoration of Double Nickels.

The team was selected based on their talents and positions. J. is our resident videographer, Bradley is our photographer, Jackie heads our public relations department, Mark is our visual brand coordinator, and I do our social media and promotions.

I should add that it was Mark’s passion for classic VWs and J.’s long after hour work that helped get Double Nickels running and ready for departure. In fact a large percent of our staff helped in one way or another. Everyone has their talents, so they put them to use. For example, I stood by and took photos and tweeted from my iPhone as the others did the real work.

Q: Once the road trip was underway, how did you get people interested in it?

We did a few interviews about the trip, but the bulk of the interest came organically from our @griffintech and @cesbound Twitter accounts. The press release we sent to the media got picked up by CNET which helped get people aware. We also reached out directly to people talking about #ces on Twitter.

The local meet ups helped get the word out too. We also churned out enough content to keep people interested as we traveled the 2,500 miles.

Q: Was CES Bound a succcess?

It was a huge success. Our objectives were to reveal the new branding, meet our friends along the way, get to Vegas on time, and have Double Nickels proudly part of our booth. We didn’t have a set figure to measure our ROI, but not everything important can be measured. The relationships born from CESBOUND were worth the price of admission alone.

The PR/marketing components that really worked all stemmed from our use of social media and email.

Here’s some of the feedback that put smiles on our faces:

• http://www.spreadingscience.com/2010/01/18/things-that-change-and-those-that-do-not/#comment-4273
• http://www.chrisbrogan.com/how-heartfelt-marketing-delivers/
• http://christitrimmer.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/fantastic-marketing-idea/#comment-6
• http://www.marketingprofs.com/short-articles/1582/las-vegas-or-bust

Q: What advice do you have for those interested in pursuing a similar campaign?

Bring extra Snuggies, the desert gets really cold at night!

I think the biggest tip is to just do it, I know that’s very Nike of me, but it’s true. Allowing a group of your employees to restore a vehicle in your office after hours, then drive it 2,500 miles may sound nuts, but it’s now a testament to the incredible work we do at Griffin. I’m so proud of everyone who got involved.

• Video: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=CB89665503DCDE07&sort_field=added
• Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/griffintech/sets/72157622692820013/ You can see photos of “Double Nickels” in our booth here too: http://www.flickr.com/photos/griffintech/sets/72157623262981042/

Q: Now that it’s been a few months since CES, is the campaign still paying dividends?

I would say it is. We’re doing a Core Conversation at SXSW Interactive about using social media with road trips. We’re also still in touch with many of the people who we met along the way. The relationships are what’s so special about what we did.

Q: Why did you name the van “Double Nickels”?

Double Nickels is trucker slang for 55 miles per hour. Our fuzzy dice flipped to 5 and 5 at the same time that we decided to name her that.