Fake business car wraps

What's the play

Park a prototype on a busy street and re-wrap it every day as a different absurd fake business. Give people a mystery to solve and let them dig before you reveal the real product.

What was the alternative?

A standard teaser page with a countdown and a spec sheet.

Results / what moved

Slate got the internet trying to crack the mystery and racked up over 100,000 reservations by mid May.

Cost breakdown

A prototype vehicle and a fresh vinyl wrap each day

Time to pull off

Ran daily for a few weeks up to the reveal

Would you run it again?

Yes. Slate used the mystery to grab earned media before the real launch.

Steps

1. 1

   Pick a high traffic spot

   Park where foot traffic and phones are guaranteed, then leave the car to be noticed.

2. 2

   Invent a new business daily

   Re-wrap the car each day as a different absurd company so locals keep coming back for the next one.

3. 3

   Stay a mystery

   No product, no logo, no explanation. Let people online try to solve who is behind it.

4. 4

   Reveal at the peak

   Once the speculation is loudest, drop the real product and collect the earned media.

Notes

Make the fake businesses genuinely funny, like cat therapy or a service that drives babies to sleep, so people screenshot them. Keep the real product hidden until curiosity peaks, then reveal.