Ogilvy came to us with the idea to create a bike drive-thru on Chicago's Lakeshore Drive to promote Jimmy Dean's new roll-ups.. This required us to concept, fabricate, install, and manage a 1950’s inspired diner for their proposed 3-day popup marketing campaign. The diner should invite consumer interaction, generate social media content, and introduce product samples to their target audience.
In addition to the design and fabrication work, we also managed the overall show production in conjunction with the client. This includes putting together the run of show for the activation, managing the show logistics of install and strike, organizing external vendors, and troubleshooting unforeseen circumstances on-site.
Let's talk about the process. This project had many challenges. First of all, the whole scenic design was to be viewed from a full 360 degrees. Secondly, the elements needed to be lightweight but strong. Installing anything from hanging points 135-feet in the air is not easy. How does one begin to make gargantuan amphibians?
Functionally, we decided to explore a singular ‘hut’ for two brand ambassadors to work out of. It would have a simple silhouette and large neon sign to attract attention. Stylistically, we distilled the visual language of the 50’s diner architecture to a friendly and approachable structure.
Well, we actually worked with anatomically-correct 3D models of these critters. As a result, we were able to “dissect” the frog shapes virtually, 3D carve them on our CNC router, then reassemble the parts back into their final shapes. Luckily, custom-engineered tooling allowed us to CNC carve in 12″ thick sections!
The hut was designed to accommodate the process of storing, heating, and serving Jimmy Dean breakfast Roll-Up’s. Bridgewater handled all the equipment sourcing and rentals necessary to make the process run as smooth as possible.
Finally, we were up to the challenge of installing the frogs from hanging points 135-feet in the air. After two nights of careful installation, we were able to create full exposure for these frogs without using specimen pins.
Welcome to the Roll-Up Zone! Hungry bikers, commuters, and trail enthusiasts are greeted by a friendly waitstaff and can come fuel up with a grab-and-go snack from Jimmy Dean. They can park their bike and enjoy a rest, or roll-up and roll-out. Either way, everybody is welcome to celebrate breakfast at America’s first bike drive-though.
