On the Road: 17 Eye-Catching Ideas for Literal Promotional Vehicles

Anheuser Busch-owned Landshark Lager promoted its beer on September 14 with a mobile hot tub, which invited the public to sit inside and enjoy a tour of Key West, Florida. Derek Mauk, senior brand director at Anheuser-Busch, said the idea was a way for LandShark to bring its “laid-back lifestyle to the spiritual home of the brand.” The activation was produced by the Experiential Group and creative agency Lucky Generals, and Lime Media Group handled the build.

High West Distillery, a spirits manufacturer based in Park City, Utah, held a cross country train tour that invited people to sample spirits and learn about the distilling process. The experience stopped at events including the Austin Food & Wine Festival in April, Bar Convent Brooklyn in June, Chicago Tribune Food Bowl Night Market in August, and Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, Kentucky, in September. Manifold produced the experience.

For the N.B.A. Playoffs in April, the league activated two pop-up buses in New York and Los Angeles for fans. The activations featured a Beats listening station, an NBA 2K gaming lounge, and a Larry O’Brien Trophy photo booth, as well as store offers and giveaways. The buses were wrapped in “Heroes Wanted” campaign imagery.

For The Who's 2019 North American Moving On Tour, promotional buses rolled through New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. They featured graphics inspired by the group’s song "Magic Bus" and compilation album, Magic Bus—The Who On Tour from 1968. Fans who spotted the bus could enter for a chance to win tour tickets by posting the bus on Instagram or Twitter.

In April, Amazon Prime promoted its series Good Omens with an attention-grabbing stunt throughout Los Angeles. The Chattering Order of St. Beryl, a group of Satan-loving nuns featured in the original Good Omens novel, sung a cappella covers at tourist attractions. The nuns traveled in a bus wrapped in promotional imagery. The company partnered with creative production agency Tool for the stunt. See more: This Week in Los Angeles: a Choir of Satanic Nuns, a Balloon-Filled Kardashian Birthday, the Magic Castle's New Chef

Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile, the brand’s hot dog-shape promotional vehicle that has popped up at events for years, recently doubled as an Airbnb through a partnership with the home-sharing company in August. Three pairs of fans were able to book one night each in the 27-foot vehicle, which was located in Evanston, Illinois, just north of the brand’s home base of Chicago. See more: Checking In: See How Three Brands Have Launched Innovative Hotel Experiences

St. Ives launched an immersive mobile experience in July, which kicked off in New York and traveled to Chicago, Philadelphia, and Columbus, Ohio. Mosaic North America designed the tour’s double-decker bus, which featured naturescapes inspired by ingredients in St. Ives Face Mists. See more: On the Road Again: How Brands Map Out Their Mobile Tours

For a week in July and August, Stella Artois gave New Yorkers an alternative commute option by launching a fleet of French Riviera-style Riva boats. Consumers could sign up online to ride in the two-person boats, which transported commuters between Pier 25 in Manhattan and Pier 5 in Brooklyn. Bait Shoppe produced the activation. See more: Cheers to Summer: 24 Event Highlights From Beverage Brands This Season

For San Diego Comic-Con in July, entertainment database IMDb hosted a three-story yacht docked outside the San Diego Convention Center. The space, produced by NVE Experience Agency, featured Comic-Con-inspired games, food, and photo moments; director Kevin Smith was on board to conduct interviews with stars. See more: Comic-Con 2019: The Coolest Things You Missed at the Massive San Diego Convention

Governors Ball sponsor Zelle had its own V.I.P. ferry at the New York music festival in June. The digital payment service's purple-painted boat had two types of experiences for festivalgoers. On the way there, the ferry offered a party atmosphere with a local DJ, photo booths, and a performance from brand ambassadors to hype attendees. On the way back, the ferry offered guests an opportunity to wind down by providing water and purple eye masks. See more: Free Rides: How Major Events in Cities Are Making Attendee Transportation Easier

HBO promoted the final season of Game of Thrones in April with multiple events and activations, including the “Dragon Wagon,” a charter bus wrapped in branded imagery of two dragons. At the AT&T flagship store in Boston, fans could enter to win a trip on the bus to the New York premiere of the final season. The bus wrap was designed by Lime Media. See more: Winter Is Here: See How HBO and Other Brands Are Celebrating the Final Season of 'Game of Thrones'

For the season three premiere of HBO’s weed-theme comedy High Maintenance, the network partnered with Grandesign to serve free CBD (cannabidiol) lattes, drip coffee, and cold brew to passersby in Venice, California, and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in January. Lattes were served from a branded truck by ambassadors wearing green flannels and helmets, inspired by the show’s main character, who delivers weed to customers on a bike. See more: 25 Clever, Fun, or Just Plain Wacky Ideas From Recent TV and Film Premieres

Freeform promoted the series Good Trouble in December 2018 with a communal dining experience that was housed in three large moving trucks under the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. The trucks were branded with Freeform and Good Trouble signage, and the back of each opened to reveal three distinct, design-forward dining rooms inspired by the show's themes of friendship, love, and young adulthood. Freeform partnered with Blue Revolver to produce the event. See more: Would You Host a Dinner Party Inside a Moving Truck?

To promote the opening of the TWA Hotel, which opened at John F. Kennedy International Airport in May, a restored aircraft traveled 300 miles on the highway from Maine to J.F.K. in November 2018. The aircraft, a 116-foot-long Lockheed Constellation (nicknamed "Connie"), was commissioned in 1939 by TWA owner Howard Hughes. See more: Why Was This Plane Riding Down the Highway?

As part of a P.S.A. campaign, American Airlines, Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), and Marvel Studios unveiled a custom-wrapped American Airlines aircraft in April 2018 at Los Angeles International Airport. The graphic, which was more than 50 feet long, depicted characters from Avengers: Infinity War alongside the nonprofit's logo, images of SU2C researchers, and images of American Airlines employees who are cancer survivors. Solo Graphix created the custom-wrapped graphic for the plane, which flew to and from New York and Los Angeles. Lindeman & Associates designed the creative. American Airlines also unveiled a similarly wrapped plane in September, as part of a partnership with Stand Up To Cancer and Hyatt Regency. See more: 10 Best Ideas of the Week: National Geographic's Picasso-Theme Photo Ops, a Hanging Condom Installation, Absolut's LED Dance Floor

For the 2017 Juno Awards, sponsor Virgin Mobile partnered with Canadian rail company VIA Rail to host a train ride that took hundreds of music-industry members, Juno nominees, and Virgin Mobile contest winners from Toronto to Ottawa, where the ceremony was held. The train offered riders culinary experiences and live music performances. See more: 15 Sponsor Activation Highlights From Canada's Biggest Music Event

At this year's Advertising Week New York, which runs September 23 to 26, a small fleet of food trucks were wrapped in custom graphics from sponsors. The printing company Quad sponsored a Van Leeuwen ice cream truck that served afternoon treats. It rechristened flavors with on-theme names such as "Chief Strawberry Officer" and "Lead-Generating Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip."