Auxiliary Projects
Free Yr Radio, Bessita by Yaris and Urban Outfitters
New Bessita goes to SXSW and around the country
Free Yr Radio presented by Yaris and Urban Outfitters liked what we did promoting Yaris with our Yaris Works project and at SXSW in 2007. So they helped us outfit a brand new Yaris and make a new Bessita to travel out to SXSW in 2008.
The goal of Free Yr Radio is to raise awareness and funds for non-commercial radio. Last year, through free shows by artists like Klaxons, Voxtrot and Sonic Youth, station-sponsored sweepstakes, and a benefit CD featuring the bands who joined the effort, Free Yr Radio raised money and generated buzz for some of our country's most deserving independent stations.
This year, Free Yr Radio is back with even bigger plans to help keep independent radio alive and kicking.
So, off we go again. Be sure to look for Bessita in Austin March 12-16, 2008 and around the country the rest of the year. You will be in for a treat (figuratively and literally).
www.freeyrradio.com
LeSportsac, Promoting Stella McCartney Line and New Store Openings
Push carts get the LeSportsac treatment
Starting at SXSW in 2008, Ice Cream Man had the good fortune to work together with LeSportsac to promote their new line from Stella McCartney and the opening of new stores across the country.
We had our push carts professionally wrapped with a Stella McCartney designed pattern for SXSW and Anthem's Fiesta del Fiestas in Palm Springs during Coachella weekend.
During the summer, we brought newly wrapped carts out to store openings in Chicago and LA, gave away free ice cream and directed people to the stores.
www.lesportsac.com
White Stripes/Warner Bros, Custom White Stripes Ice Cream Boxes
An Icky Thumpin' Good Time
During South by Southwest, we loaded up about a dozen people in Bessie and went to Threadgill's for some fine home cooking. Over dinner, Chloe, the White Stripes' publicist, brought up the possibility of working together to promote their new album, Icky Thump.
After a bunch of ideas were tossed around, we ended up deciding on a custom ice cream box. Rob Jones, the White Stripes' resident artist, drew up the design, which we sent to Jakprints, who miraculously printed 20,000 of them and had them on a plane back to LAX just two days later.
Once we had all the boxes, the Ice Cream Crew met up to start putting them together and store them in huge boxes, which we loaded into the back of a Ryder truck for the trip to Coachella. For three days, we roamed the Coachella parking lots and debuted tracks off of Icky Thump while giving away over 5000 free ice creams in White Stripes boxes.
While traveling the country for the next couple of months, we continued to play White Stripes music and gift the customized goodies at events from Sasquatch Festival to Bonnaroo.
We capped off the project on release day, June 19th, with an appearance at Icky Thump Records in Hollywood, where Gooch gave away ice cream to hundreds of fans waiting in line to see the White Stripes at the old Tower Records store on Sunset Blvd.
Thanks to Jack and Meg White, Chloe and Press Here Publicity, Rob Gordon and Warner Bros, Rob Jones, Jeremiah, Gooch, Knife, and the Coachella Crew for making it happen.
www.whitestripes.com
Yaris Works, Toyota Yaris Given an Ice Cream Makeover
Starr and Val canvass the country slingin' cream
In 2006 we were asked to convert two Toyota Yaris Liftbacks into custom Ice Cream 'trucks.' Jeremiah headed the project, designed our two Bessitas and got them wrapped in vinyl. Jeff Outten designed and produced custom coolers to be built into the back of each Bessita.
Once they were ready to roll, Starr and Val took control and drove them thousands of miles across dozens of states while giving away over 10,000 free ice creams with the Yaris Works gang.
Yaris Works was a Do-it-Yourself series of events that featured button making, t-shirt printing, recycling vinyl, and a bunch of other cool stuff. Starr documented her journey on the east coast (you can check out pics and read the Bessita Review here. When Starr returned I asked her what percentage of the people that attended the Yaris Works events started with free ice cream, she said at least 70%. Wow... who'da thunk it?
Thanks to Starr, Val, Jeremiah, Drillteam, US Concepts, Lime Projects, and Toyota for giving birth - and much needed love - to Bessita.
www.bessita.com
