I may be sticking my neck out here, but this is an interesting organization from a PR perspective.
According to their website, adorned with the photo shown here, “Turtle Transit is creating and introducing new dimensions of extreme outdoor advertising through a seamless blending of leading edge technologies. This includes interactive opportunities and 3D graphics that revolutionize out-of-home communications.”
Okay, so this is advertising, maybe marketing, you say. Sure, I agree. But the company is making loud PR noise. I believe there is a thin line between PR and advertising when you 1) have a creative organization to sell, and, 2) use the advertising to grab audience attention first, and then build awareness. The tentacles reach far into the image management of the organization.
Have you seen these Turtle Transit vehicles? An article written in 2002, included the fact that the company was inspired by the Oscar Mayer Weiner-mobile.
In Fortune Small Business magazine in April, they noted that owner James Riseborough brought in “$2 million last year by transforming ordinary cars and trucks into promotion vehicles. Monster.com was the company’s first customer.” You couldn’t ask for a better or more colorful one-page magazine feature subtitled “Start Up.”
Find Turtle Transit in:
http://www.fleet-central.com/bf/t_inside.cfm?action=news_pick&storyID=23315
Company Turns Fleets into 3D Promotions
April 26, 2006
“Marketing company Turtle Transit http://www.turtletransit.com turns ordinary cars and trucks into giant noses, coffee cups, turtles and monsters. The Lancaster, Mass.-based company made $2 million last year, according to a report in Fortune Small Business. Company founder James Riseborough wanted to take vinyl vehicle wraps into the next dimension. So his staff of 11 creates sculpted 3-D advertising using foam, fiberglass, auto paint and engineering plastics…”
OR HOW ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE PIECE?
http://www.creativemag.com/onlweekly112805.html
“The NASCAR Street Tour provides a new avenue to build awareness of our sport, drive television tune-in and ultimately help attract new fans,” said Roger VanDerSnick, V.P. of Marketing for NASCAR… The NASCAR Street Tour vehicles were designed by Turtle Transit…”
AND, THIS…
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/News2005/jul05/jul11/1_mon/news5monday.html — July, 2005,
“Your client scooting about the town — On a Segway and drawing attention from the crowds,” by Kathy Prentice.
YES, TURTLE TRANSIT DECKS OUT SEGWAYS, TOO!
Stick Your Neck Out: Turtle Transit takes its marketing to the streets to show off.
Entrepreneur magazine – January 2002, by April Pennington
OR THIS ONE:
“Extreme ad agency startup Turtle Transit sought to raise eyebrows in its native Boston this …”
promomagazine.com/news/marketing_june_2/index.html
In any case, this company’s media stories must be fun to pitch.
