The idea for the living billboard stemmed from the core creative idea to “play with the everyday to reinvent and improve,” which in turn was inspired by the insight that “life’s best moments aren’t perfectly planned; they are the simple times when we can hang out and be ourselves.”

Best Damn Apple Ale is a regional brand, and we wanted our creative idea to stem directly from the local culture and flair. For Detroit, this meant creating something a little rugged – nothing too sophisticated or precious – utilizing local musicians, builders, games and non-profits. We would turn a beer into a locally-relevant experience that a visitor would literally step into.

Local artisans, woodworkers and builders constructed the recycled shipping container and converted it into a working bar designed to match the 3D specifications of Best Damn Apple Ale‘s retail packaging. We worked with Woodward Throwbacks, who salvaged material from illegal dumping sites for their design projects.

The bar’s interior was dressed in red velvet to mimic Best Damn Red, the color found on the inside of our packaging. We worked with Sit On It Detroit; they install benches along Detroit’s public transportation lines for tired travelers. We partnered with companies Tao of Restoration and Butterbean Antiques to help furnish the billboard.

Attendees listened to local musicians and we partnered with four charities to raise funds: Home FurEver (a pet adoption agency), Detroit Empowerment Plan, Eastern Market and Riverfront Conservancy. All charities were included in the press materials and the 200,000 invitations sent to city residents.

Over the four weekends, we had more than 1,200 people hang out (and multiple dogs adopted on-site!). Notable coverage from local media (CBS Detroit, ABC channel 7) Detroit Free Press, Metro Times and Thrillist Detroit helped us boost these number 20% beyond our target. The five earned media placements delivered more than 8 million impressions.

We produced an additional 4.5 million earned impressions on social media, and Best Damn enjoyed 10 times more social conversation than its competition during the activation period.

After the Corkboard launch, we activated the living billboard two more times in Detroit: once for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and then again for the Detroit Tigers (baseball) opening day. All proceeds were again given to Michigan charities.