Zenni Road Trip
A coast-to-campus experiential tour that turned an online-only eyewear brand into a real-world favorite—meeting students where they live and scroll.
Objective
Launch an in-person brand experience to reach college students and shift perception from “cheap online glasses” to fashionable, affordable, quality eyewear.
Drive awareness, social engagement, and site traffic in priority campus markets.
Convert digital buzz into on-site trials, fittings, and free eye exams.
Strategy
Take Zenni IRL. Build a mobile showroom bus and tour major Western U.S. campuses to create try-on moments, style content, and community.
Lead with culture. Pair eyewear with student life—music, “street-style” content, and local creators—to make Zenni feel native to campus.
Let social be the map. Use geo-targeted and campus-specific content to announce stops, spark UGC, and fuel real-time turnout.
Execution
Campus Tour & Pop-ups
Customized showroom bus with full product wall, mirrors, fittings, and free eye exams.
Ribbon-cutting events at nine colleges; on-campus placements coordinated with student orgs and admin.
Press & Influencer Engine
Market-specific press kits; interviews with student radio/podcasts; coordination with school press centers.
Partnerships with on-campus bloggers, stylists, and creators; VIP previews and content takeovers.
Social Programs
Daily Snapchat & Instagram Stories, contests, and giveaways.
Geo-targeted Snapchat filters and paid social announcing tour stops and features.
Custom Facebook app with tour dates/campus schedule.
Regional Spotify playlists curated/voted on by local fans.
Pinterest boards by region; celebrity stylist takeovers with fall style recommendations.
Results
200M+ media impressions nationwide in six weeks (coverage from business and campus outlets, incl. Forbes).
Social programs delivered a 23:1 ROAS, 32% engagement rate, +47% clicks to site vs. prior month, and CPA down 23%.
Road-trip content generated 47,000+ new sessions, 32,000 new users, and 37,000+ social shares.
Community growth: +18,017 followers across channels, including 5,000+ organic on Snapchat alone.
Most importantly: digital buzz → real foot traffic to the bus, try-ons, and on-site fittings—cementing Zenni as the stylish, affordable choice for college students.
