Like you, we're craving a return to normal.

Instead of another newsletter trying to forecast what our industry might look like when the shutdown is over, we're going to share a few relevant projects that we've been working on with brands over the past few weeks as a way to inspire you as your clients begin to ramp up activation planning.

These three trailers show three unique ways of using an experiential marketing trailer to stretch a brand's budget, because we're all about being a partner that provides value to our clients rather than simply making a quick buck.

Believe it or not, brands are still moving forward during the Covid-19 shutdown. One of those brands is Texas-based golf apparel company, Black Quail Apparel, who purchased this 24-foot stage trailer to use as a mobile retail store and tasting booth for their sister brand Flecha Azul Tequila at local events and PGA Tour events.

We had started the conversation prior to the shutdown and the initial plan was for the trailer to be ready in early April to launch at The Masters in Augusta, Ga. While that plan fell through, the brand never wavered in moving forward with the trailer, and now they will be favorably positioned to activate when the shutdown is lifted.

Many of us in the experiential marketing industry are used to full graphic wraps on mobile vehicles, but this trailer is a great example of reducing costs while still standing out. Graphic wraps are expensive. But changing the color of your trailer -- both exterior and interior -- is a cost-effective way to match your brand look without breaking the bank. 

In this case, the full matte black exterior, interior walls, and trim package fits Black Quail perfectly, and they supplemented with some spot graphics to convey brand messaging. Matte black is an upgrade option to the standard colors available, but that upgrade cost is still considerably less expensive than a full wrap.

In short, your trailer doesn't have to be white, and by changing the colors and just using spot graphics, you can put more of you budget toward working dollars. Of course, we're happy to wrap it for you if you want a full wrap.

Another brand that hasn't let the shutdown slow them down is Core Rhythm Pilates in upstate New York. While their physical studio has been temporarily closed, they have moved forward with their mobile pilates studio trailer, which is now finished and on its way to Canandaigua, NY as we speak.

What's special about this trailer? Quite a bit, actually.

For starters, it's a deckover stage trailer, which means it's raised above the wheels so that when the main stage folds down, it is one smooth, flat surface, rather than the wheel well being in the way. This is perfect for a pilates studio, but would also greatly benefit consumer flow for your activation. 

The other great feature of this trailer is the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows on the non-stage side. This can be done to any trailer we build and allows great natural light into your activation space. Just look how open and inviting this trailer looks! 

Of course, further customization can be done to finish it off, such as perimeter skirting to hide the jacks underneath the trailer and a graphic wrap or spot graphics for branding, but you get the picture.

This isn't always an available option, but when it is it's a great way to reduce your upfront costs on an experiential marketing trailer. Sometimes brands or agencies sell their marketing trailers back to us after their mobile tour and we're happy to buy them back if they are still in good shape. 

Heaven Hill Distillery took advantage of a great deal and got a 26-foot wedge nose stage trailer that was already outfitted with a custom acrylic glass wall over the stage-side wheel well. Because they bought it previously used they were able to save upfront costs and reduce the amount of customization needed to make it work for their brand.

The team plans to use interchangeable SEG-style graphics to fit its various brands as it activates at festivals on the East Coast once they're back up and running. We can't wait to see it in action.

If you have a marketing trailer that is still in good shape we are happy to buy it back from you at fair market value to help you get an asset off your books and recoup some costs to your bottom line.

Every trailer is different. While it starts as a shell with wheels and walls, it's ultimately what your brand makes of it. Your brand brings it to life, and as described above, you can select from a variety of color options, you can have the deck raised to allow for one continuous floor with no wheel well, you can add windows to provide more natural light, and you can sell it back to us after you are done using it (and buy used from us if we have one in stock).

Those are just a few of the many options available to make your trailer, well, yours. 

At Advantage Trailer, we have more than 30 years of trailer fabrication expertise and more than a decade of in-agency experiential marketing experience. We can truly be your partner in helping you select and design the right trailer for your brand's needs.

Give us a call at 630-524-2029 or email justin@advantgetrailer.com to start the conversation.