I-77 | Branding
<h2 class="h3">How a highway became a helpful neighbor.</h2>
Tattoo Projects created a launch campaign that rectified nearly 20 years of construction delays, political squabbles, and negative PR surrounding the I-77 Expressway. A fast-tracked discovery phase unearthed a paradoxical insight: despite the highway being a part of the city, it wasn’t a part of the community. Our goal was to turn the highway into a helpful neighbor.
<h3 class="h6">BILLBOARD DESIGN</h3>
<h3 class="h6">BRANDING & TRUCK WRAPS</h3>
<p style="width: 50%;text-align:right;"> Tattoo created the logo from abstract imagery to form the “I-77” name. The bold sans serif typeface provides a sense of speed, and reliability. </p>
<h3 class="h6">LAUNCH CAMPAIGN</h3>
We communicated the benefits of using I-77 Express through a friendly voice and simple copy by delivering the message: Get there. In just two words it spoke to why people would pay to use a faster highway.
<h4 class="h6">42M+ TOTAL PLANNED IMPRESSIONS</h4>
<h4 class="h6">48M+ TOTAL IMPRESSIONS</h4>
<h3 class="h6">WAZE NAVIGATION ADS</h3>
<p style="width: 50%;text-align:right;"> When drivers’ eyes aren’t on our billboards, where are they? We applied the new I-77 Expressway personality to Waze Navigation ads. Radio also echoed the brand personality during major drive times. </p>
<h3 class="h6">B2B CAMPAIGN</h3>
The overwhelming success of the daily driver campaign compelled I-77 Mobility Partners to tap Tattoo Projects for the following year’s B2B campaign informing local businesses and logistics companies that I-77 Express now accepts all 2-axle vehicles.
Tattoo Projects sent direct mailers to major business park exits off of I-77 as part of a targeted media buy. The I-77 brand personality proved flexible enough to speak to business benefits while still being relatable, further validating our brand voice.
<h3 class="h6">DIRECT MAILER</h3>
<h3 class="h6">BACK TO WORK CAMPAIGN</h3>
As the pandemic was winding down, I-77 Mobility partners asked Tattoo Projects to remind Charlotte’s commuters that the I-77 Express was the best route to return to work. From Zoom references to power lunches with your kids, we explored every avenue to relate with Charlotte commuters, avoiding all the “new normal” talk.
<p style="width: 50%;text-align:right;"> Since, returning to the office was a stop-and-go situation, our media buy leaned on digital tactics that could be pushed without penalty. We engaged with Waze users, Nextdoor users, and internet radio streamers. </p>
<h4 class="h6">1.6M+ TOTAL PLANNED IMPRESSIONS</h4>
<h4 class="h6">3M+ TOTAL IMPRESSIONS</h4>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0;font-size: 2vw;line-height: 1.2;">Giving the gift of extra time.</h2>
Sheetz’s mission is to give people time back to do more of the things they love. In honor of Global Pay It Forward Day, we helped Sheetz put their mission into action with the “Time Back” campaign.
<p style="letter-spacing: 1px;font-weight: 800;line-height: 1;">"TIME BACK RECAP"</p>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1.2;letter-spacing:1px;">SOCIAL LISTENING</h2>
Leveraging social listening tools, we scrubbed Sheetz social platforms to pinpoint Sheetz Freakz who had fallen on hard times.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1.2;letter-spacing:1px;">RECIPIENT SELECTION</h2>
We then worked with the brand’s executive team to vet stories, select recipients, and donate unprecedented prizes to Sheetz fans who simply need some time back.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1.2;letter-spacing:1px;">MICROSITE DESIGN</h2>
We produced five beautiful videos of the in-person donations, telling each recipient’s story and showcasing their emotional reactions. On paid social, the videos drove visitors to a custom #TimeBack website, where we encouraged community members to pay it forward in their own lives.
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<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1.2;letter-spacing:1px;">SELECT PRIZES</h2>
From financial aid and custom-wrapped vehicles to charitable donations and family vacations, Tattoo Projects tailored prizes to help each recipient make up for lost time and fulfill their dreams.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 1vw;font-size: 2vw;">April McDuffie-Hodges</h2>
<h3 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1;">South Boston, VA</h3>
April’s business, Alexia’s Closet, had been severely damaged from major floods. Sheetz gifted her with a new car, $25,000 for her business, and a $5,000 donation to the American Heart Association in honor of her son.
<h4 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-top: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;">PRIZE RECIPIENT</h4>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 1vw;font-size: 2vw;">Alan Jamieson</h2>
<h3 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1;">St. Mary's City, MD</h3>
An Associate Professor at St. Mary’s college of Maryland, Alan received a $25,000 donation to his school, a dream vacation to London, and a $2,500 Sheetz gift card to help fuel his students’ learning.
<h4 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-top: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;">PRIZE RECIPIENT</h4>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 1vw;font-size: 2vw;">Todd Spurrier</h2>
<h3 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height:1;">Finksburg, MD
Todd Spurrier, a cancer survivor, runs a charity to raise awareness for the dangers of colorectal cancer. Sheetz surprised him with a $25,000 contribution to his charity, a custom-wrapped van, and a $500 Sheetz gift card.
<h4 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-top: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;">PRIZE RECIPIENT</h4>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 1vw;font-size: 2vw;">Emily Spears</h2>
<h3 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1;">Confluence, PA</h3>
Following a recent accident that totaled her car, Emily Spears was delighted to receive a brand-new car, $10,000 to help save homeless pets, and a dream vacation to Turks & Caicos.
<h4 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-top: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;">PRIZE RECIPIENT</h4>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 1vw;font-size; 2vw;">Chris Bizzell</h2>
<h3 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-bottom: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1;">Raleigh, NC</h3>
Chris is a track & field coach at East Cary Middle School and a self-proclaimed Sheetz Freak. The brand surprised him with a $25,000 donation to his school’s athletic department, a new truck, and a free trip to the Sheetz headquarters.
<h4 style="letter-spacing: 1px;margin-top: 0.5vw;font-size: 18px;">PRIZE RECIPIENT</h4>
“Standing behind our core values, we had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to surprise a few of our lucky fans with more of the things they love in order to help them enjoy all of the time back they get from shopping at Sheetz.”
Ryan Sheetz,
AVP of Brand at Sheetz
