Top 10 Best Pop-Ups of 2023

Posted on December 11, 2023April 5, 2024 by Sarah

Lists

It’s been a big year here at Food Truck Promotions. With the holidays on the horizon and the new year quickly approaching, we’ve been looking back at all the incredible pop-ups we’ve been a part of in 2023. Time flies when you’re having fun, as they say, and this year has flown by with all of our fun-filled activations.

To celebrate a wonderful year coming to an end (and to embrace the new chapter that’s about to begin), let’s take a look at some of our favorite pop-ups of 2023.

1. Beis Revolve Festival Ice Cream Truck

What do you get when you combine the Revolve Festival, Wanderlust Creamery’s sherbet, and Beis? A Weekend(er) packed with enough color and fun to be remembered all year long. Our stand-out truck served up custom-hued sherbets, and Beis founders Shay Mitchell and Adrienne Borlongan were there to help keep things vibrant.

2. Gisou Honey Glow Truck

We can’t talk about an event that created serious buzz without talking about our Gisou Honey Glow Truck. Gisou’s honey-infused hair oil had already gone viral, so they decided they wanted to get Los Angeles buzzing over their new lip oil with a three-day event. We wanted to keep honey at the center of the pop-up, so we created a sweet truck complete with buttery yellow visuals, florals, branded beehives, and plenty of sweet treats.

3. Malin + Goetz SPF Pop-Up

This year, we ushered in the summer season in style with the bright (and we mean bright) orange vintage Citroen we created to promote some of summer’s most essential products: Malin + Goetz’s SPF offerings. The pop-up took the streets of NYC by storm for two days, and we handed out hundreds of SPF samples to help New Yorkers safely soak up the sun.

4. Augustinus Bader Smoothie truck

Augustinus Bader launched a three-day celebration of two major milestones in NYC. The brand called on FTP to help commemorate their fifth anniversary and launch their new spa at The Webster in SoHo. “Bader Blue” helped color the entire event, and everything from our custom-wrapped truck to superfood smoothies (which featured Augustinus Bader’s nutrient-packed supplement, of course) were bright, fun, and colorful.

5. Ulla Johnson x Erewhon E-Tuk

To promote the opening of Ulla Johnson’s first boutique opening in Beverly Hills. We created a custom Ulla Johnson branded E-Tuk, complete with built-in refrigerators and a Beverly Hills-inspired wrap design. Throughout the weekend, the E-Tuk not only generated buzz for the boutique, but it also resulted in Erewhon selling out the healthy and tasty juice.

6. Glossier Cloud Paint Pop-Up

This fun and playful event featured not one, not two, but three matching pink and white, Cloud Paint-inspired vehicles outside the Glossier stores in SoHo, Williamsburg, and West Hollywood. The event was all about the brand’s new, summer-inspired blush shades, Whisp and Soar – so we served up sorbet and gelato in matching hues. The bi-coastal event was a huge hit, and one of our favorite days of the year.

7. Laneige x innisfree “Glow On-The-Go-Tour”

It’s no surprise that when two of K-beauty’s most iconic brands, Laneige and innisfree, came together for a pop-up, the experience was unforgettable. The tour made 12 stops in 9 cities, but the number of “glow-ups” were countless.

8. La Prairie Luxe Cream Airstream

We put luxury and relaxation on wheels with the custom Luxe Cream Airstream we created for the luxury skincare brand La Prairie Switzerland. This was no ordinary vehicle, either. Rather, it was a full-blown mobile spa that we brought to The Wine Stand at Wölffer Estate Vineyard. Product discovery, skin consultations, and Art of Perfection treatments made for a memorable five-day activation.

9. Pura's Scent The Season Tour

Pura made NYC, Atlanta, and DC the best-smelling places in America with their week-long event that brought the brand’s signature scents to each city. These pop-ups were all about scents, sensory adventures, and surprises, and guests had the opportunity to sniff and smell their way through the custom truck we designed with scents in mind.

10. Peach & Lily Pop-Up Bus

Celebrating a brand that gives people glass skin with a glass truck just makes sense — and it’s exactly what we did for Peach & Lily’s five-year anniversary pop-up. The event took place first in LA and then in NYC, and featured free skin consultations, fun merch, and peachy treats.

A Year to Remember

Looking back at these events makes one thing clear — we’ve created some incredible pop-ups over the last 12 months. Nothing makes us happier than knowing we’ve spent the year generating buzz for the brands we love, giving guests one-of-a-kind experiences, and creating activations that have never been seen before.

As fun as it is to reminisce about the year behind us, we’re even more excited to gear up for the year ahead. 2024 is looking good, and we can’t wait to see what the new year has in store.

Top 5 Cities For Your Summer Mobile Marketing Tour in 2023

Posted on March 15, 2023March 24, 2023 by Claudia

Experiential Marketing

Brands know that experiential marketing is invaluable, which is why in recent years, mobile marketing tours have boomed in popularity. Companies across all industries have discovered that mobile marketing tours can serve an array of business goals, such as driving brand awareness, delivering eye-catching PR stunts, strengthening existing relationships with consumers, and so much more. As summer comes around, the nice weather makes it the perfect time to visit cities nationwide.

But, before your brand can hit the road in a marketing vehicle, you need to decide which cities are best suited for an effective campaign. As experts in the industry, we know first-hand that choosing brand activation spots is one of the most crucial parts of planning a mobile marketing tour. So without further ado, here are our top 5 city recommendations!

NEW YORK, Ny

At the very top of the list is New York, New York.

In terms of population and density, no city in the US can compete with the “Concrete Jungle.” Hitting NYC on your mobile marketing tour will guarantee a significant reach for brands in all industries. One of the many perks of choosing NYC as a tour destination is that it’s the most diverse city in the US, so you will undoubtedly connect with whoever your target audience is, whether that be young single women in their 20s, artists, higher-ups in finance, vegans, the LGBTQ+ community, dog-walkers or athletes.

One important thing to note is that when you partner with an experiential marketing agency in NYC, they can help you choose neighborhoods based on specific demographics and also help you navigate iconic spots like Time Square, Soho, 5th Avenue, and the WTC. Their market knowledge is invaluable in this bustling city of 8 million people.

Special Recs: Herald Square, SoHo

Summer Events: Governors Ball, New York Pride, Electric Zoo

CHICAGO, IL

Because Chicago is home to some of the harshest winters in the US, this Midwestern city is a prime location to visit during the spring and summer months. With the extreme and anticipated change in weather, there is never a lack of foot traffic when it finally gets warm out. Bustling streets open the door for your brand to produce an activation that resonates with your target audience. Not to mention, Chicago is the third largest US city by population, so you’re guaranteed to have a massive reach when you choose this city as a summer mobile marketing tour spot.

Special Recs: Michigan Avenue, Wrigley Field, Lincoln Park, Lakeshore Path

Summer Events: Lollapalooza, Chicago Pride

LOS ANGELES, CA

Next, there’s Los Angeles: home of celebs, influencers, and the newest trends. Where better to stop on a mobile marketing tour than in a city that is all about innovating, creating, and pushing boundaries? Many brands choose to bring their brand to LA because they know that LA is home to whatever’s next: if your brand can make an impression here, it’s only a matter of time until the whole country is talking about your brand or products. There’s also an abundance of locations that make perfect activation spots, such as Venice Beach, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood!

Special Recs: The Grove, Venice Beach, Melrose Trading Post

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Though located in California, San Francisco provides different marketing opportunities than LA because the culture and demographic in this northern city is so distinct. While LA is known as the entertainment capital of the US, San Fran is famous for its booming tech industry, significant LGBTQ+ community, and sizable Asian demographic. Stanford University is also located nearby in Palo Alto, which means you can target Gen Z and college campuses when you head to the Bay Area too. So as a mobile marketing tour stop, you reach a significant and particular audience when you stop in SF!

Special Recs: Civic Center, Golden Gate Park

AUSTIN, TX

Austin is one of the fastest growing cities in the US, drawing people in with its lively nightlife scene and picturesque parks and landscapes. This city makes a particularly effective mobile marketing tour location when brands are targetting young audiences and/or people in the tech industry. Keep in mind, too, that Austin has pretty agreeable weather year-round, so while summer is an excellent time to hit multiple cities across US, your brand can head to Austin year-round.

Recs: Rainey Street, 6th Street, Zilker Park

The 10 Absolute Best Pop-Up Shops Of 2022

Posted on January 3, 2023March 24, 2023 by Claudia

Lists

10 Best Pop-Up Shops Of 2022

1. Laneige

Over a few weekends, New Yorkers kicked off this beauty pop up by spinning a prize wheel and winning one of five prizes: a small, medium, or large swag bag, a discount card, or a cleanser duo.

After an educational talk and the opportunity to sample LANEIGE products from our hydration booth, you headed up the colorful staircase to the double-decker’s rooftop floor for a focus on a different product, the Lip Sleeping Mask.

To match the Lip Sleeping Mask aesthetic, the rooftop was designed in all pink and decorated with giant Lip Sleeping Mask props. Here, guests met with our brand ambassadors to hand in their ticket and receive their prize, branded candy, and product samples all in a LANEIGE gift-bag.

Our brand ambassadors were also available to snap cute photos of you and your group sitting on the lip-shaped couch in front of the candy wall backdrop! Once you enjoyed the sun and captured your pictures, you were guided back down the stairs to enjoy the rest of your weekend and your LANEIGE to-go.

2. MAËLYS

MAËLYS’s ‘House of Bod’ pop up took New York City by storm. The first step was wrapping and branding a food truck in ‘MAËLYS-pink’ and serving complimentary pink lemonade to match the aesthetic.

While waiting in line, guests were handed scratch-offs for the chance to win free merch, full-size products, and up to $500 in ULTA Beauty gift-cards along with their free lemonade. Once you walked through the decorative archway, you had the opportunity to speak with MAËLYS ambassadors and sample an assortment of products, including the B-Flat, B-Tight, and B-Thicc creams.

Then, at the truck window, you redeemed your special prize and pink-lemonade! We topped off the MAËLYS fun by setting up a vanity wall for guests to opt into a lottery: all you had to do was snap a mirror-pic, tag #fortheloveofbod and @maelys_cosmetics, and post it to your story for the opportunity to win the ICONS bundle worth $199!

3. Simon & Schuster

For the release of “It Starts With Us,” our team wanted to deliver a creative pop-up experience that paid respect to Hoover and her fans.

What we came up with was nothing short of a total recreation of Lily Bloom’s flower shop at Rockefeller Center, turning Hoover’s imagination from the book’s prequel, “It Ends With Us,” into something fans could see, touch, and feel.

This involved branding our vintage Citroen and installing a floral display with the same purple, yellow, and teal colors depicted in the book. As a nod the character’s restaurant, we served hot chocolate and cookies designed with BIB’s logo for added memorabilia.

Hundreds (and eventually thousands) of guests waited at the Lily Bloom flower truck for the opportunity to enjoy complimentary hot chocolate and Chip City Cookies, but more importantly, be the first to get their hands on hard copies of the book.

4. e.l.f Cosmetics

e.l.f Cosmetics partnered with our experiential marketing agency to promote their Halo Glow Liquid Filter in Soho, New York. Our team caught passerbyers’ eyes with a stunning product display wall, along with stanchion ropes and carpet that led guests to a high-end e.l.f. vintage truck. From the truck window, guests had the opportunity to work with a beauty expert to select their shade and were also gifted makeup samples and popsicles to enjoy to-go. The event also included special appearance from Glee star Lea Michele which elevated the pop up experience just that much more!

5. Tonka

This September, we teamed up with Tonka to promote their kid’s brand in the most perfectly ‘on-the-nose’ way possible: by creating a life-sized replica of their toy trucks and parking it in Flat Iron, New York!

The bright yellow exterior of the Tonka truck already made it pretty hard to miss; especially with the promise of complimentary ‘play-cation kits,’ including a free toy truck, stickers, and more, it’s no surprise we had parents and their kids lining up by the hundreds.

However, complimentary Tonka goodies weren’t the only source of excitement for guests to feed off. The absolute cherry-on-top of this activation was giving guests the opportunity to meet basketball legend and pop-culture icon, Shaquille O’Neal!

6. Costa Brazil

Costa Brazil is an up-and-coming self-care and fragrance brand. Before their official store opening, the brand turned their soon-to-be-store into a dynamic pop up experience for an entire weekend in Soho.

This experience included a branded cart on their street corner that offered complimentary coffee, bounce-back cards, and a quick perfume sample that ultimately encouraged people in-store for an even more immersive experience.

Consumers took their coffee to-go and headed inside, where they were greeted by brand ambassadors with a special Costa Brazil bracelet, more extensive product samples, and even an opportunity for a massage using the brand’s products!

7. Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny is one of the most streamed artists in the world. Even with all the organic hype around Un Verano Sin Ti, the rapper’s team knew they had to promote the album release in style. That’s why they enlisted us to brand a food truck to match the album cover art and hand out complimentary ‘helado’ all over Chicago!

This experiential marketing activation proved to be the perfect way to honor the artist’s new body of work and get listeners excited for the drop date.

8. Malin + Goetz

We partnered with (MALIN+GOETZ) to bring New York’s bodega culture across the country to Los Angeles via a deluxe food cart service.

Our MALIN + GOETZ cart hit Westfield Century City and Melrose Trading Post and handed out 1,000 soft pretzels along with 1,000 cups of coffee that left LA locals with the true New York experience!

After only two days, we’re proud to say that this part of the brand’s global campaign culminated in roughly a thousand new followers on Tik Tok and Instagram. It was so much fun to bring New York to LA, while more importantly getting MALIN + GOETZ noticed on the West Coast!

9. Coach x ShopRunner

ShopRunner came to us wondering how to bring greater awareness around their service using the experiential approach. After getting to know more about their brand, we decided that Mother’s Day was the perfect occasion to gain subscribers, coming up with the idea to #GiftMomBack by giving out free, branded flower bouquets via a limited-time pop up.

What began with an idea to #GiftMomBack turned into a Mother’s Day pop up with a massive line formed around the corner of Prince and Broadway in Soho, New York. People came and went over the span of three days, signing up for the ShopRunner app through a QR code and, in return, receiving their beautiful flower bouquets from one of our brand ambassadors. From photo-ops to special moments between friends and family, this turned out to be an experience that people will come to remember and cherish for years.

10. EcoFabulous

Say hello to EcoFabulous!

In 2022, Amyris‘s new skin-care brand debuted their collection of environmentally conscious products, espousing “beauty for all of us, and for a better planet.”

To honor EcoFabulous‘s commitment to sustainability, we offered the brand the opportunity to host their launch from our electrically charged tuk-tuk in three New York locations: Noho, Union Square, and Williamsburg.

Our guests enjoyed a promotional video, received a tote-bag of product samples, and were offered complimentary jars of rainbow cake by JARS by Dani. They could also enjoy a photo-moment or spin a wheel to win a variety of prizes like reusable straws, reusable bags, squeeze keys, gift cards, product samples, or a whole set of face oils!

To top the pop-up off, Disney Channel star and celebrity Skai Jackson made an appearance to educate people about the products!

Wrap Up

This year, Food Truck Promotions partnered with over 50 companies to produce the very best pop-up shops of 2022, all over the United States and even abroad. After looking more closely at 10 of our absolute favorite projects from this past year, we’re so excited for the brand activations that 2023 will hold!