THE SITUATION:
The iconic Airstream trailer is a uniquely American product with a journey that began in 1929. Company founder Wally Byam was driven by his vision of bringing together the outdoors and freedom to travel. Today, Airstream creates travel trailers that give explorers the best of both worlds, being able to journey to new places without having to give up the comforts of home.
Airstream trailers, featuring retro-futuristic style, a durable aluminum skin and customized interiors, have become the most iconic luxury travel trailers in the world. In 2017, however, Airstream recognized pent-up desire for luxury mini travel-trailers with specific attention to modern design. The recognition led to the creation and launch of the Nest, with a goal to market it to a niche group of trendy travelers.
THE CHALLENGE:
Unlike the “silver bullet” trailers for which Airstream is known, the Nest is a complete deviation that incorporates different materials (fiberglass vs. aluminum) and targets a unique and new audience – new-to-camping early adopters who appreciate outstanding design. Airstream tasked Upward with creating something unique and cheeky that would appeal to the target audience while underscoring the design-centric product. Additionally, creative assets would need to be leveraged in multiple ways to maximize Airstream’s marketing investment.
THE STRATEGY:
Upward created an action plan to manage the launch of the Nest and position it within a niche group of consumers who value both the freedom of travel and the luxury of home. A collection of creative assets would allow dealers to uniquely showcase the Nest, as well as help to generate excitement via social media channels while driving leads to the website. The strategy’s goals included:
- To market the Nest as an American-made, design centric travel-trailer
- To showcase the functionality available within the small, compact space
- To market to a niche group of travelers looking for an alternate solution
THE WORK:
To showcase the distinct personality of the Nest, the product’s introductory campaign employed a video series that incorporated a combination of live video, CGI animation and voice acting. These videos demonstrated the unique functionality and modern style of Nest, appealing to travelers of all varieties who are seeking a new type of traveling experience.
Hummingbird mascots, Dave and Gigi, were incorporated across creative assets to bring personality to the Nest and highlight the new product’s features.
Creative assets included:
- One 60-second, and three 15- second video spots
- Brand guidelines
- Email marketing campaign
- Product Brochure
- Dealer POP kit including: ceiling danglers, pull up banner and interior clings
- 3D pop-up direct mailer
- T-shirt designs
- Print and digital ads for both dealers and the brand
- Media loner wrap
- Digital assets for social channel
