The rise of highways and the restrictions of Covid-19 had hit the small businesses of Route 66 hard. We were tasked with attracting people back. Using an icon of Route 66 we developed an epic road trip, celebrating the eclectic nature of the Route, and encouraging the public to help us preserve it. With help from Mobil 1, we broke world records, grabbed news headlines, and moved closer to making Route 66 a National Historic Trail.
By the end of the road trip, we had visited hundreds of small businesses, meet thousands of people, and shared our story with millions. More importantly, we had put Route 66 back on the map, and our signed petition got us closer to making Route 66 a National Historic Trail.
This only gives a small overview of the full story, to see more of the details read on…
Our first task was to hit the road and unearth the stories and people that make Route 66 what it is. So we spent 3 weeks documenting the businesses and people of Route 66.
We needed a central focus for the campaign. In stepped the Muffler Man. We adopted him as our mascot to help bring our adventure to life. First step was to create a series of OOH that directed drivers off the Interstate and back onto the Mother Road.
Our OOH directed people to Route 66, but we needed an actual physical mascot to travel across the country. Partnering with Bell Plastics (the original Manufacturer of Muffler Men) we created a bespoke 20ft giant!
SANTA MONICA •
LAUNCH •
SANTA MONICA • LAUNCH •
We kicked off the road trip on Santa Monica Pier, with musical acts, merchandise, prizes and a visit from legendary car collector Magnus Walker. We gathered signatures and spread the word about our campaign.
At each stop, our Muffler Man had signage directing the public to sign our petition to protect Route 66 and Keep it Kickin’. Our site allowed the public to sign the petition, follow the road trip, and learn more about the small businesses.
• DELGADILLO'S SNOW CAP •
MOST MILKSHAKE FLAVORS
• DELGADILLO'S SNOW CAP • MOST MILKSHAKE FLAVORS
The next stop saw us break our first record at Delgadillo’s Snow Cap. Famed for their milkshakes and practical jokes, we served up some of the most ridiculous flavors for the locals to taste.
CLOWNDOG
• MOST CORNDOGS IN 3 MINS •
CLOWNDOG • MOST CORNDOGS IN 3 MINS •
A classic eating contest then followed at the Clowndog Hot Dog Parlour. People came from far and wide to cheer on the competitors in their attempt to break the record for most corndogs eaten!
SKYVIEW
• MOST DOGS AT A MOVIE •
SKYVIEW • MOST DOGS AT A MOVIE •
We teamed up with the Sky View theatre to create the largest ever Doggy Drive-in. Hundreds of doggies and their owners came out to help us break a record.
As a thank to everyone who came out to the event, each pet parent got their own professionally shot portrait.
For those who couldn’t make it, we brought the experience to New York. Our ‘Drive In Bus Theatre’ allowed the public to get a small taste of our campaign.
HI-WAY CAFE
• MOST STICKERS ON A CAR •
HI-WAY CAFE • MOST STICKERS ON A CAR •
For the final stop, we partnered with the Hi-Way cafe. Together, with the help of local residents, we completely covered a classic car in over 60,000 stickers. This gruelling task captured public attention and brought some much needed love to the Hi-Way cafe.
Our campaign got a boost from Kevin Harvick, as he showed his support with a KR66K scheme during the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Cup Series.
