Category: Brand Activations

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Ambassador Programs Brand Activations Client Stories Experiential

Harley Reaches Gen-Z

Harley-Davidson occupies a singular position in American cultural consciousness. Their motorcycles elicit visions of never-ending roads, wide open spaces, and unlimited adventure. For over a century, the iconic potato-potato-potato of a Harley engine has come to signify more than just a brand. To generations of Americans, a hand on the throttle of a Harley means the freedom to forge your own path and define your own destiny.

But newer generations of Americans didn’t seem to get the message. Harley riders grew increasingly older, with Baby Boomers becoming a disproportionately large share of the brand’s customers. Harley’s storied history seemed to hamper them in marketing to Millennials and Gen Z, who saw them as a relic of a bygone era.

Or did they? With The Campus Agency’s help, Harley sought to discover a new market for their legendary motorcycles in the new generation of students who were simply unfamiliar with motoculture at large.


Reintroducing one of America’s most beloved brands to a new generation took the creation of unforgettable experiences for students. With our team’s help, Harley-Davidson found a network of students across the South who craved the thrills, excitement, and unbridled opportunity that comes with the wind whipping around their helmet on the back of a Harley motorcycle.

At four campuses, we sent a team of ambassadors to Harley riding school to learn the ins and outs of safe motorcycling. Armed with startup merch kits and a taste of Harley-fueled freedom, our ambassadors created a new motoculture movement on their campuses. They combed their schools for two-wheeled vehicles, leaving promotional materials for travelers who might want to amp up their two-wheel experience. They tabled for Harley in high-traffic areas on campus, in local coffee shops, and at Harley dealership events. Freedom Fridays, in which ambassadors raffled off Harley swag kits, became the hottest competition on campus.

The Campus Agency staged over 50 experiential marketing events for Harley-Davidson in 2019. At the University of Alabama’s fall activities fair, our ambassadors created the Bama Rides Out group, giving over 500 new students a crash course in motoculture. We teamed up with Sony and a local dealership at the University of Texas to host a tailgate activation event, where our ambassadors distributed merchandise and Riding Academy vouchers to some of the Longhorns’ most stalwart fans. Then, Harley-Davidson took over the annual Eve Carson 5K at the University of North Carolina, working in partnership with Greek organizations at one of UNC’s biggest philanthropic events of the year.
Our #CampusAgencyPowered Harley-Davidson campaign generated a fresh surge of buzz around an American tradition. Though their brand had struggled to attract younger generations, with The Campus Agency’s help, they found that the appetite for the freedom and excitement Harley represents is just as strong now as it was back in 1903. All it took to tap into this excitement was a little kick-start.

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Brand Activations Client Stories Events Experiential

Going BIG With Nordstrom

Before working with Campus, Nordstrom had a college conundrum. On the whole, their brand was thriving, opening destination stores, showing collections at high-profile fashion weeks worldwide, and commanding enviable levels of brand recognition. Yet, they struggled to entice students to their stores. Nordstrom, to Gen Z, seemed to be a place their parents would shop, a place that sold clothes and accessories that they wouldn’t afford on a college budget.

So, with Campus’ help, Nordstrom decided to step into the GenZ space and really speak their language. Working with on-campus ambassadors and using pinpointed media buys, our team staged a college rivalry competition at schools across the country. The campaign highlighted the range and affordability of Nordstrom’s shoe collection, conceived to “help every student take their next best step in life with style.”

To demonstrate their investment in students and drive campaign participation Nordstrom pledged a custom Nordstrom Shoe Party to that the campus that generated the most engagement during the campaign. They also promised $100 credit for new graduation shoes to all the winning school’s seniors. With supermodel Karlie Kloss emceeing the event and promoting the brand on social, Nordstrom’s Snapchat following increased by over 60%, and the event’s Snap filter garnered nearly 7 million views.

By getting faculty, staff and even their university President involved, students at the University of South Carolina blitzed the rivalry competition and were crowned the winning school. The event was envisioned as a dream Nordstrom store landscape, decked out with a custom handbag creation station, a chair massage area, and a catwalk where students (attendees? participants?) showcased their favorite new fashion. Students received free mani/pedis and clamored for photo ops with Karlie Kloss and Cocky the Gamecock.

Nordstrom also gifted $100 vouchers to over 2,000 graduating seniors from USC.

The publicity generated by the campaign drove over 300 million PR impressions. The breakdown of the numbers speaks for itself: 3.2 million views for the Nordstrom digital ad, 235k Snapchat filter uses, and press coverage from nearly a dozen national outlets, including Anderson Cooper, People Magazine, and US Weekly.

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Brand Activations Events Experiential Spring Break

Panama City Beach Spring Break Marketing 2015

If you are looking to market to college students for Spring Break 2015, Panama City Beach is the place to be and be seen. Over 400,000 students flood the white sand beaches of this Florida paradise over the course of the month.

Here at Campus, we have exclusive branding and beach rights at the Summit Hotel in Panama City Beach, one of the most popular spring break hotels on the strip. The Summit pool deck is the envy of vacationers at other hotels, and it is the place to be day and night.

Located close to large nightclubs and beach bars, The Summit Hotel offers many different marketing opportunities for brands.

The beach out front is perfect to reach students from all hotels who are exploring the beach. You’ll also be close to the action when CMA Entertainer of the year, Luke Bryan takes the stage at Spring Break for the last time at Spinnaker. Summit is located next to club, and the free concert is expected to attend a record number of students, so you’ll have no shortage of spring breakers to market to.

Assets at the Summit include:

  • Hotel signage and branding
  • Branded key cards
  • Pool deck branding
  • On beach activation in front of the Summit
  • In room drops
  • Elevator wraps
  • Collateral distribution

But the fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Campus also has access to the best spring break night-life marketing assets. Want to create VIP experiences, sponsor music or have a signature drink? Working with Campus you’ll be able to put together a dynamic spring break marketing program that will reach students during every moment of Spring Break 2015 in Panama City Beach, FL!

Contact chris@thecampusagency.com for more info! Or send us a message.

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Brand Activations Events Experiential

Rider Sandals Spring Mobile Tour kicks off!

Here at The Campus Agency, we specialize in college marketing and connecting brands with students on campus through mobile tour activations. We are very excited to be heading out on the road for the Spring on the Rider Sandals Foosball Tour. Over the next few months, we will be visiting 15 premiere colleges and universities nationwide, spreading the word about the new 2014 Rider Sandals line to students. We will also be in Panama City Beach, FL for the month of March activating a spring break marketing program and we can’t wait to hang out with 400,000 plus college students!

At each event we will be hosting single elimination foosball tournaments where we will crown the best player on each campus and award them with a cash prize. We will also be giving away dozens of pairs of sandals and other free prizes to students.

We are also excited to be bringing along two great partners of ours, StudentUniverse.com and Flashnotes who would be introducing themselves to students on each campus about their products and services.

Our road crew headed out this week from Campus headquarters in Boston en route to sunny Southern California to prepare for the first event at UCLA on January 30.

Here is the full schedule:

  • 1/30 UCLA
  • 2/4 UC Dominguez Hills
  • 2/5 Long Beach State
  • 2/6 UC Irvine
  • 2/11 UC Fullerton
  • 2/12 UC Riverside
  • 2/13 San Diego State
  • 2/18 Arizona State University
  • 2/20 UNLV
  • 2/24 University of New Mexico
  • 3/2-3/21 Spring Break – Panama City Beach, FL
  • TBD Louisiana State University
  • 4/1 University of Mississippi
  • 4/3 University of Alabama
  • 4/8 Georgia Tech
  • 4/1 Bullstock-University of South Florida
Categories
Brand Activations Events Experiential

Spikeball Partners with The Campus Agency to Produce First Ever College National Championship Series

BOSTON (December 3, 2013) –Spikeball Inc., creator of the fastest growing beach and backyard game, has retained Boston based college marketing firm, The Campus Agency, to produce the first ever “Spikeball College National Championship Series.”

Kicking off in March 2014 during Spring Break on the beaches of Panama City Beach, FL., students will have a chance to work on their skills, play against friends, win prizes and have a chance to be crowned as one of the weekly Spikeball College National Champions.

“We are thrilled to have an opportunity to work with the Campus Agency,” said Chris Ruder, Chief Executive Officer at Spikeball, Inc. “Spikeball has seen a tremendous groundswell of interest from campuses all over the country. Partnering with The Campus Agency will allow us to build on that momentum and introduce the game to students in a much more concentrated arena.”

The title sponsorship of the Spikeball National Championship Series is also available which includes name in title recognition, beach activation space, and on site signage rights during the event.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Spikeball to produce this exciting event and spreading the word about this great sport by bringing it to thousands of engaging college students in the largest domestic spring break location of Panama City Beach”, said Paul Tedeschi, Chief Executive Officer of The Campus Agency. “This is also a great opportunity for brands to take ownership of the event and reach the healthy active lifestyle demographic.”

For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Chris Nyland, Director of Strategic Partnerships at The Campus Agency at Chris@thecampusagency.com or at 857-233-4792.

About The Campus Agency

The Campus Agency, Inc. assists brands with marketing and advertising services targeting college aged students (18-24). Their services include: Partnership marketing, on campus marketing initiatives, spring break marketing, and on campus brand ambassador programs.

About Spikeball Inc.

Spikeball Inc is a fast growing e-commerce business based in Chicago, IL. Through a combination of product sales, tournaments, and a membership-based community Spikeball is becoming one of the country’s fastest growing sports.