Case Study

“The Altimeter” Design and Launch

In order to grab a piece of the emerging overland market and attention from a younger demographic, Lance Camper retained Kahn Media to design and creatively promote its SEMA Show vehicle the “Altimeter.” The “Altimeter” consisted of a Ford F-350 and Lance 855S truck camper built to showcase what a truck camper was truly capable of.

Client
Lance Camper
Type of Work
Graphic Design
PR/Communications
Influencer Marketing
Dates
November 2019
01 / The Project

Redesigned
Perception

From concept to creation and execution, we mapped out the plan for the entire “Altimeter” campaign. Starting with the vehicle/camper design and wrap graphics, our creative team designed the custom, attention-grabbing graphics for the Lance Camper 855S truck camper, which creatively highlighted the camper’s four-season capabilities.

The biggest challenge of the campaign was overcoming the long-standing stigma against the product. When most people think “truck camper,” they picture a retiree with white hair, in a white truck, with a white camper on top. The “Altimeter” project was designed to break that mold and change that perception and show just how versatile a truck camper can be.

The media and public relations plan for “Altimeter” consisted of a three-step strategy – pre-promotion, launch, and then activation. To pre-promote and tease the “Altimeter” project, a realistic rendering was created and used to alert the media about when and where the vehicle would be debuted.

The vehicle debut plan had two components – the physical debut at the SEMA Show and the digital launch on the internet. As the SEMA Show kicked off and crowds flooded to the “Altimeter,” a press release and high-quality photo set produced by Kahn Media’s in-house creative team was sent to a targeted group of media outlets and influencers.

The final step of the PR plan was the activation and experiential component which put influencers and journalists in the vehicle to go out on curated off-road/overland experiences.

The Kahn Media team handled vehicle preparation and logistics for each press drive, including everything from campground reservations to stocking the camper with snacks and supplies for the guests.

The campaign was able to demonstrate the versatility and capability of the vehicle to a variety of media verticals as well as to help reeducate consumers to appreciate truck campers as a cool and comfortable option for overlanding and RVing.

02 / The Tactic

The “Altimeter” launched at the 2019 SEMA Show and took the overland scene by storm. The announcement was distributed to a targeted list of media contacts consisting of everything from endemic media to mainstream and men’s interest outlets. By lunchtime on the first day of the SEMA Show, the Lance Camper “Altimeter” story and photo set had been posted on the biggest automotive, outdoor, and cool gear sites on the internet.

Simultaneously, Kahn Media coordinated for YouTube mega-influencer “ThatDudeInBlue” to spend the night in “The Altimeter” inside the SEMA Show, giving him and his 1.1 million YouTube subscribers access to SEMA like never before, all while showcasing the versatility of the Lance truck camper platform.

Following the launch, it was time for the experiential component of the campaign. Kahn Media coordinated press drive and camping experiences with top tier media outlets including Automobile Magazine, Jalopnik, The Manual, Hoonigan, and The Drive. “The Altimeter’s” destinations included The King of the Hammers race in California, overlanding on the Mojave Road, and a trip to Joshua Tree, to name a few.

Curate the
Overland Experience

Design

Styled to connect
with a new audience

Launch

SEMA debut with
unique influencer campaign

Revitalize

Redefined the perception
of the “truck camper”
03 / The Results

Reach the Next
Generation of RV Owners

The combined public relations, marketing, and social media efforts resulted in over two-dozen stories on the build and upwards of 50 million impressions. Earned media coverage for Lance Camper and the “Altimeter” included websites like Automobile Magazine, Jalopnik, Gear Patrol, Motor1.com, and GearJunkie.com. Utilizing our network of influencers and content creators, we worked with YouTube influencer ThatDudeInBlue, world renowned automotive photographer Larry Chen, and YouTube sensation Hoonigan, among others, to create compelling video and photo content. This media coverage drove mainstream brand awareness of Lance Camper among millennials and the overland community, resulting in increased sales for the client.

About the client:

Since 1965, Lance has been building America’s most popular truck campers. Manufactured in California, the company prides itself on learning from dealers and consumers to continually improve its products. Many of them are still on the road today, a testament to the company’s philosophy that Quality Comes First. Lance is now making its mark with ultra-light travel trailers that are quickly becoming the towable of choice.

Ready to rev your brand engine?

Get in touch with our team. Shoot us an email at info@kahnmedia.com or give us a call 818.881.5246.