Marketing

The are a million ways to grab a customer's attention, and in an age of digital inundation, thoughtfulness and subtlety can go a really long way...

DRIFT never had a budget for PR and marketing efforts were rare. On the occasion we did promote, we made sure it had an impact. Here is an example of how we used limited resources to tell a story.

Backstory

In 2013 DRIFT launched the 12Meter Collection. An homage to a nautical past, the frames were crafted using salvaged teak decking from the USS California(a story in it's own right).

  Following in the footsteps of the wildly successful Delta Blues, we needed this collection to stand out. Here's how we did it.

The Intrigue

We shipped a message-in-a-bottle to the top accounts in the world. Each message had a handwritten note on one side and an invitation to meet us at Vision Expo(the optical industry's largest tradeshow) on the other. There was no information about the upcoming collection or even a direct method of contact.

Message formatting was derived from old oceanic research projects which used a message-in-a-bottle to map the world's currents.

The Beacon

We connected with a brilliant glass blower(Nate Cotterman) to hand-make 3 vintage looking bottles. Each bottle was sealed with one of the frames from our new collection.

The Reveal

Carrying our invitation into the physical, we created a custom tradeshow design. The booth included teak furniture, a hand-sewn canvas sail, lobster-trap lighting and of course, The Frame-in-a-Bottle - a delight for those "in the know" as well as a conversation starter for anyone hoping to discern how we did it.

 Most importantly, the booth allowed us to showcase the brand vision in its entirety. Connecting retailers with our brand and imparting to them the stories behind the product. 

The Product

The frames featured a mint green and navy blue color option paired with teak temples. Just above my hand(right photo) you can see where a massive cleat once stood proud upon the deck. 

Lines in the temples mimic traditional boat decking - a nod to the material's storied past.

The Takeaway

No campaign is complete without a takeaway. The Salvaged Teak PD Stick will live on in the annals of optical lore. The custom-crafted piece took what is often an ugly plastic "tool" and turned it into a beautiful object - something a retailer would be proud to bring out in front of a client. 

These were given to anyone who placed an order and to this day we receive inquiries about them.