Drive across America for FREE.
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How would you like to see everything that America has to offer, with all your friends, and not pay one cent for it? Well, it's not as far-fetched as you may think.
David, Dima and Tara are three friends who wanted to take a huge road trip across the USA, but did not have the funds to pay for a sight-seeing vacation of this magnitude. To really see all of America would take big bucks. For some folks, that would be a problem. But for these guys, it was just a solution waiting to happen. The solution is called cashroadtripusa.com .
The idea is simple (the best ones are). As we all know, cars and vans can be traveling advertisements these days. And what better place to put your ad than on a car going all across America? So, the gang decided to set up a website that sells blocks of ad space on their van. One block = $100 (it's similar in concept to the clever student who sold 1 pixel for $1 on his million dollar website).
It's not only the van you can buy space on. The folks themselves are also for sale, via t-shirt sponsorship, jackets, pants, that kind of thing. No surprise that getting a full day of advertising on the pretty girl in the trio is the most expensive space to buy. This is the world we live in.
But the plan itself is well worth a mention here on Wisebread because it epitomizes the very essence of our philosophy - living large on a small budget. To travel across the whole of America and see so many great sights is definitely living large. And getting advertisers to foot the bill, that's not even a small budget. That's no budget.
They plan to start the trip this year, if they raise enough money. At roughly 4400 paces for $100 each, plus the high-end ad spaces on themselves, it looks like they could be setting off with over $500,000 in the kitty. That's going to be one hell of a vacation!
Tagged: Cars and Transportation, Art and Leisure, car ads, cashroadtripusa.com, free gas., free travel, free vacation, road trip, sponsorship
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Or would the defeat the Wise Bread purpose?
Is $100 worth of space worth it? Especially when the van will be travelling most of the time? You'd have to buy a whole bunch of blocks. As an ad man, i can think of cheaper and more targetted ways to spread the WB word. Guerilla tactics, viral stuff.
You have to think about the number of web hits the actual homepage will get. And each logo is click able and will direct you to the companies website. So yeah, even for $100 for one square its not about whats on the actual van but whats on the website.
Hadn't factored that in. Maybe it is worth it after all.
Thats the thing, if the idea is good, it will get national media coverage. The more coverage the more people will look at the site, and that translates to web hits for everyone. Is it worth it... I think the idea is good enough to get the publicity it needs to succeed, just because its something different that highlights America.
This is a briliant idea! Sounds like they're already getting a ton of publicity and, thus, money. They could probably become an ad broker for poor college students who didn't mind being travelling billboards in exchange for a free roadtrip. A year from now, I wouldn't be surprised if we see an army of vacationing ads.
This is one of the coolest ideas I hears. My originality, the million dollar page doesn't even come close not mentioning linkexperiment
I am sure they will write a book about it and will sell the car itself for 10 times its price after the trip.
I'm surprised by the knack the three displayed. I checked their link and it seems they're doing business already. I hope it works for them. Somehow I'm reminded of that episode in the Apprentice where one team (I can't remember the teams' names anymore) decided to approach all their previous clients in the show to offer ads in the rickshaws they're managing. They flat-out leveled the other team.
I was curious if you have any articles about affordable vacations? I found this blog at http://www.timferriss.com/ferriss-resources-lifestyle.htm and I was wondering if you find the contents good. Are they feasible?
Thanks!
Errol, why not just buy his book. It's at http://snipurl.com/1ilc1.
I was considering doing something similar with my vehicle here at home....driving around town with local advertising. The actual concept isn't new, look at race cars. This just takes it to another level.