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Why a Flip-Flop Brand Gave Away Free Palm Trees

Brazilian flip-flop brand Havaianas set up a palm tree lot in New York City to celebrate the upcoming summer season.

The palm tree lot came to the corner of 18th Street and 7th Avenue on May 17.
The palm tree lot came to the corner of 18th Street and 7th Avenue on May 17.
Photo: Courtesy of Havaianas

While Christmas tree lots in December are a normal sight on the streets of New York City, palm tree lots in May are a bit less common. To get New Yorkers into the summer holiday spirit—and to turn the city into an actual urban jungle—Brazilian flip-flop brand Havaianas riffed off the Christmas tree lot concept by staging a palm tree lot in Manhattan.

The activation, which came to 18th Street and 7th Avenue on May 17, offered city dwellers free palm trees to take home. Passersby could take home a free tree after they took a photo of the lot, shared it on social media, tagged Havaianas, and used the brand's official hashtag, #InstantJoy.

More than 100 palm trees, which ranged from tabletop size to 12 feet, were delivered from South Florida for the activation. Produced by experiential agency Bait Shoppe, the set up also promoted Havaianas with colorful branded pots and a red wall of hanging flip-flops that faced 7th Avenue.

Going along with the summer theme, the activation featured two "shirtless beach bum" models, who posed for photos and helped passersby pick out trees and hail taxis for home or office delivery.