The Power of Experiential Marketing: Launching AAA's GIG Car Share Service"
Experiential Event Marketing Agency
With a little over a month away from rolling out its new car-sharing service, GIG, A3Ventures (AAA’s venture arm) called on Entire Productions to design a spectacular and newsworthy experiential launch. From playfully (and sometimes seriously) considering ideas involving helicopters and the shutting down of the Bay Bridge, our team worked side-by-side with A3Ventures to introduce the East Bay’s hottest new ride.
Occupying the short-term rental niche with the likes of Zipcar and GetAround, GIG offers the unique option of one-way car sharing service. Users are not required to return the car at a designated location, but can instead rent any of the Toyota Prius C vehicles with the mobile app. When finished, users can then drop it off at any public parking lot or metered parking space within Oakland or Berkeley.
Since its last product launch in 1971, AAA looked to tap into a younger Millenial generation by offering a new product. GIG Car Sharing Service was that opportunity. The question at hand was then how could GIG successfully and uniquely launch to this target group?
Entire Production’s President, Natasha Miller, and Director of Experience Design, Carina Hessmer, developed a two-part publicity stunt showcasing the cars while leveraging social media and our own network of diverse and incredibly talented local musicians.
Meticulously planned by our creative Production Manager, Claire O’Neil, and executed by the rest of our team, the first aspect involved four drive trains cruising throughout Oakland and Berkeley’s main thoroughfares. Each drive train was made up of five vehicles, with the lead car hosting a beautifully decorated bike on its top rack. Whimsically adorned, the decor of the bikes paid an ode to the annual art and music festival of Burning Man- a celebration attended by many of our target audience members.
Leading each car were four Bay Area music groups whose social following composed of influencers and Millennial fans alike. Equipping the cars with GoPro cameras and microphones, we were able to live stream their take on James Gordon’s Carpool Karaoke-meets-NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. Throughout the routes, the musicians belted out tunes to hundreds of random passersby and thousands of online viewers, gracing everyone’s morning and online stream with good vibes.
After traversing around Berkeley and Oakland, all GIG cars reconvened at Lake Merritt for the second part of the stunt – a world record attempt at having the Most Concerts in a Car, or as we affectionately refer to it, ‘Most Gigs in a GIG’. Inviting official Record Setters, we brought in 23 colorful musical acts to perform inside one of the GIG cars. Launch goers were treated to a variety of performances, from youth indie rock stars and an authentic pirate to an Italian opera vocalist and sweet island reggae. Our team not only took a lighthearted approach to introducing a service, we set a world record for music!
All the while, if you can believe there’s more, Entire Productions and A3Ventures also partnered with Daybreaker to curate a giant, outdoor festival. Set at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater, Daybreaker attracted thousands of attendees to launch day with a morning yoga session, a dance party that continued into the afternoon, food trucks from Off the Grid, and interactive art installations.
The overall launch day was a HUGE SUCCESS! We had over 6,000 RSVP’s and more than 2,500 attendees sign up for the GIG service, doubling their sign-ups in one magnificent day. In less than 6 weeks, we gained measurable traction for GIG and established the brand to be one of relevance, accessibility, and, most importantly, fun! The power of experiential marketing!
We can’t wait to produce the next raving celebration!
Special thanks to our photographer Jim Vetter and videographer Elson Ross of Mirrorless Media for trusting us on our wild rides and capturing the essence of the day.
-Tesha