Flexibility on wheels

With their advanced technical equipment, design and structural possibilities, vehicles for mobile marketing fit almost any client's bill.

Today, suppliers of promotional vehicles can make almost anything impossible. They transform trucks into beauty salons on wheels, develop mobile cutting rooms, and equip every vehicle with the very latest in communications technology. Messages and products can be taken almost anywhere. Nothing can beat the flexibility of the mobile marketing experts.
This year Bücking Concept, Essen, has again come up with something new: The Truck Show XVII features a 28 or 44 m2 projection screen onto which large-scale events of any kind can be projected by beamer. And now, the consumer electronics industry, too, has discovered mobile marketing. A double-decker bus is currently touring various German recreational areas on behalf of Philips. To consolidate its market presence in the wellness and health care sector, Philips is using the bus for campaigns that concentrate on imparting information in transparent and tranquil surroundings. The cosmetics company Vichy is focused on customer contact and product presentation in its centre for healthy skin in a fully glazed, transparent truck. The action surface of Show XIV, which when fully constructed looks a bit like a glass bat, was divided into several consultation rooms where visitors were given advice on skin structure and their own skin type.
Another very popular presentation truck is the Show XI, which went on tour this spring for a German employment agency with 5000 vacancies.
Wall, the renowned international street furniture and outdoor advertising company headquartered in Berlin, placed an order with Conform from Halle for a show truck design which, including the tractor, is around 17 metres long.
GetGoing from Varel landed a challenging order for the development and backup support of the Mercedes-Benz Safety Trucks. The remit: to present by the most spectacular means the world's latest road-accident prevention safety systems for lorries. Eilers Fahrzeugbau, teamed up with GetGoing, was responsible for the design and interior fittings.
A newcomer to Bermervörder-based company IT-Mobil's fleet in 2006 is the Premium-XXL module. Its presentation surface can be extended to around 70 m2 with a withrawable unit, thus also providing space for larger events. Inside the vehicle the white furniture and parquet-look floor make for a "comfortable business feel", a kitchenette provides catering facilities. According to the specialists, the trend towards mobile marketing has one objective and that is to reduce costs.
An important step this year for Jumbo from Jülich was the development of a new structural and floor design concept. That means not only being able to provide even larger mobile premises, but even, according to the company, fulfilling the most extreme requests that clients approach them with. The company has also expanded its service and tour management services, which, according to managing director Philipp Waller, are increasingly seen by clients as a basic requirement. The flexibility of the Jumbo mobiles means that, after deployment, the vehicles can be quickly converted to a new marketing topic and CI and special requirements of a new client. With the slogan "The best thing that can happen to milk", a vehicle was developed for Milram for multifunctional usage. Profit 1 in its typical Milram look is not only to be found in front of large supermarkets but also provides support to the Milram team during cycle races. Inside the vehicle, visitors can measure their strength on two racing bike simulators, peruse the merchandise on offer or try out various products at the autonomously cooled milk bar outside. The product and brand world is also presented digitally on a 63-inch plasma screen.
Lego is also seeking direct contact with its target group with two CityStar vehicles that form the centre of the Lego training worlds that regularly move from location to location. These specialised vehicles acted as a presentation stage and wall with integrated extra-large plasma screens. When the event closes, the trucks are converted for the next topic and sent on the road again with a fresh coat of paint. The bike brand Cannondale uses two CityStar vehicles for its tours in France, Germany and Spain. With specially developed clamps for the wheels the two vehicles can be used both for presentations and for safe and easy transport.
Truckxs ShowMaster of Ebersberg is receiving an increasing number of enquiries for stage vehicles often needed for mega events with a large audience. The company is known in particular for its American Freightliner tractors with their conspicuous paintwork. Real eye-catchers, they help to communicate the advertising messages of the client just like the semitrailers they pull. The latter offer up to 60 m2 in exhibition space and a 7 m2 kitchen area which can be used to cater for guests. These semitrailers are the popular choice for promotional tours, roadshows and high-profile events, which they convincingly show with their fold-out divided side walls, double glass doors and autonomous power supply, heating and air conditioning, which can be erected in next to no time. Truckxs can also provide the client with a range of chairs and tables, décor, plants, conference equipment, stage equipment and lighting, and tour personnel and catering services, if needed.
Credit for the {Scaron}koda Roomster Roadshow 2006 goes to All about Livecom from Munich. To make the brand values of the new {Scaron}koda Roomster come to life, a novel surface had to be developed that mirrored the variety of the vehicle in the language of the target group and which could be presented to effect in heavily frequented key public thoroughfares in Europe. The concept combined the professional sales and advice environment of a car showroom with easy erection and dismantling. How? The advertising surface doubled as the packaging of the overall presentation.
This was done by adapting six containers in such a way that they could be reconstructed flexibly according to the locations provided by the national importer in several sizes between 350 and 800 m2 as a "promotional village" on two levels. The five stage units covering the topics "Rational", "Emotion", "Kids", "Cool" and "Stage" and a VIP unit provided an elegant framework for the "market place" intended to inform visitors about the Roomster. Each unit with all components and the exhibited vehicle easily fitted into its own container, which was placed on a lorry for transport. One particular highlight of the roadshow was an accompanying branded airship which drew attention to the event directly at the scene. Advertising messages were conveyed to the local inhabitants well into the night by 5000 small lamps on the airship. Metron of Eging was also involved in this tour.
With its new catchphrase "Experience - understand - enjoy the alpine world of Milka", chocolate manufacturer Milka's "Alpentruck" using vehicles from Rainbow Promotion of Bielefeld is currently touring through the country. To celebrate the opening of a new Porta furniture store. Rainbow presented a container in a new and unusual way. It could be lowered hydraulically and expanded on both sides by permanently installed side panels. One side was closed; the other side was glazed with large sliding doors. The interior housed a usable floor space of 45 m2. The presentation platform also provided an 18 m2 large roof terrace which could be reached by a spiral staircase. For more than 50 years, Frenzel of Ilsfeld-Auenstein has specialised in bus tuning developments. An absolute must as far as technical equipment is concerned is full air-conditioning of all rooms and the ability to remain independent of the supply equipment with the vehicle's own emergency power supply.
One important feature is digital TV reception via SAT aerial even when on the road. A WLAN router in the vehicle allows up to 15 users to communicate at any one time. According to company boss Andreas Frenzel, light effects using special LED technology are also becoming increasingly important. One of Frenzel's latest products is the "mobile showroom".
It was developed for a customer who wanted to show smaller units as promotional trailers at various events simultaneously. The concept is based on a 3.5-ton tandem trailer that can be pulled by an off-road vehicle, small van or lorry. The interior concept is modular, making it easy to respond to any new requirement regarding presentation of the exhibits. The striking exterior design of the trailer makes it a real eye-catcher at events. Antje Peters-Reimann

m+a report Nr.7 / 2006 vom 27.10.2006
m+a report vom 27. Oktober 2006