Michelin at Daytona Bike Week
Michelin wanted to establish brand equity in the motorcycle market by delivering a consumer-first experience at the biggest motorcycle party in the world—Daytona Bike Week. In a sea of custom bikes, big brands, and loud pipes, it takes a lot to stand out. With the Pineapple Agency and media partner Cage Point, Michelin created a memorable Bike Week experience that generated results and turned heads.
This collaboration was a unique opportunity for Michelin to bring its 2-wheel, 4-wheel tires, and lifestyle products to new fans in a new way. The massive installation at Daytona was a first for Michelin and arguably a first for Bike Week, with an experience-first booth that offered plenty of giveaways and fan interaction without the sales pressure of so many vendors.
Michelin Star Experience at a Motorcycle Rally
Daytona Bike Week draws half a million motorcycle and sportbike fans from across the globe for ten days of events and festivities. The calendar of events includes races, concerts, sponsored events, and miles’ worth of booths and expos from small custom shops and major brands alike. While plenty of brands have major presences at Daytona, few of them create interactive, welcoming booths for attendees of all ages and interests. Michelin and the Pineapple Agency teamed up to create an immersive experience that was equal parts Michelin Star and Michelin motorcycle tires.
Burnouts from the Comfort of Your Living Room
The Michelin installation at Daytona included a living room, a barber shop, an Oasis serving up cold water, snacks, and gelato, and custom leather engraving—all for free. In addition to all the ways to rest and refresh, there were tire and memorabilia displays that celebrated over a century of Michelin heritage and plenty of vehicles with Michelin and BFGoodrich rubber. Whether you’re into cruisers and Corvettes or prefer dirt bikes and Raptors, there were vehicles and terrain for every type of gearhead to gawk at.
How We Did It
In order to create a never-before-seen experience at Daytona Bike Week, we had to build a mini village. From the time we began working with Cage Point and Michelin, we had only six weeks to move the needle from concept to execution. We custom fabricated six 20 foot shipping containers including fresh coats of paint, electrical and lighting, custom extensions, flooring, shelving, and more. We scoured the web for vintage Michelin memorabilia and created an immersive history museum alongside the modern tires and merch. In addition to the buildings, we created custom vehicle/tire displays that celebrated cruisers and sports cars on pavement and off-road vehicles traversing rocks and sand.
We also designed and developed a personalized check-in app and interactive rider quiz that entertained visitors and provided high-value email capture for Michelin. Our team worked hand in hand with Cage Point and multiple divisions of Michelin to make sure that all parties were aligned on goals and execution. Daytona Bike Week stands alone, but campaigns and branding reach far beyond the week at the Speedway. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of Michelin, its partners, and the Pineapple Agency, we created an experience that left an impression in Daytona and will deliver value long after the rally is over.
Making Friends in Daytona
Michelin was one of the only vendors that provided an immersive experience built around social currency instead of a product sales booth. For a brand that is known for high quality and motorsports heritage, creating a booth that provided relaxing spaces to rest, free snacks and haircuts, and plenty of goodies for gearheads was the perfect way to surprise people and create lifelong fans.
The Pineapple Agency worked closely with Daytona International Speedway and their team is excited to work with us on future activations to bring immersive experiences to the Speedway and continue to push the envelope at industry events. By building rapport with attendees and the venue, Michelin and the Pineapple Agency created genuine connections and brand evangelists. In a sea of traditional marketing and sales pitches, the experiential approach sticks out.
Results
This activation was about more than custom recipe gelato or amazing haircuts. Experiential marketing delivers intangibles to the audience and the brand, but it also generates measurable results.
Over the course of Daytona Bike week, 2,843 unique users checked in using our custom app, and 1,887 of those unique users filled out a brand Survey — a 66% conversion rate for our client. By focusing on the experience, we created brand awareness and unprecedented conversion rates. Here are a few of our favorite stats:
- More than 15.3k Instagram impressions with #MichelinBikeWeek
- Over 10,000 impressions made in the physical space
- 15,000 Michelin-flavored gelatos served in biodegradable cups
- 500+ free haircuts and hot shaves given
- 1800+ Email opt-ins
- 150% above cross-sell goal
Haircuts Fade but Memories are Forever
We know that even the best haircut eventually grows out, but the memories created between brands and audiences at events like Daytona Bike Week last a lifetime. From introducing new legions of fans to the Michelin brand to capturing contact information for engaged leads, the execution at Daytona will have lasting impacts long after the party is over. Since the event two weeks ago, Michelin has sold several dozen sets of tires tied to leads generated on-site. And thanks to the friends and memories made, those sales are just the beginning. We believe in memorable and meaningful experiences, and we’re grateful Michelin included us in Daytona Bike Week.
