When Park ‘N Fly approached us with the idea of developing a mascot for their airport parking brand, SCN Branding worked closely with Park ‘N Fly’s VP of Marketing, Anne Edwards, to help accomplish this campaign initiative’s goals.
Customers tend to relate more to a company mascot as compared to other methods of engagement such as celebrity endorsements, allowing for a wider and deeper marketing message reach. A “persona” also helps create an emotional tie that solidifies the brand in customers’ memories.
The objective of this campaign was to create an “ambassador” (The Park ‘N Fly Guy) that represents each and every employee who plays an integral role in the company’s exceptional customer service and reflects their core values. It was also imperative to convey Park ‘N Fly’s passion for travel and commitment to making their customers’ lives easier. To further this point, we decided that The Park ‘N Fly Guy’s face should always be obscured by his cowboy hat to position him as a mysterious character whose persona is open to interpretation—since he can be any Park ‘N Fly employee, whether behind the scenes or at one of their facilities.
As part of the campaign, we created a jingle to capture the essence of The Park ‘N Fly Guy. Park 'N Fly took a crowd-sourcing approach and implemented a contest for employees to get ideas—as well as a “boots-on-the-ground” perspective. Ultimately, a Park ‘N Fly employee with a passion for songwriting and music created the song. Having a musician with a personal connection to the company helped create a jingle that was true to the Park ‘N Fly brand.
An essential part of this campaign was creating a realistic bio that established a character and existence for The Park ‘N Fly Guy. We envisioned a loyal 25-year employee who was first hired as a shuttle driver, rose the ranks with stints as a cashier and lot manager, and was ultimately promoted to his current position as Chief Enthusiasm Officer. To further enhance his relatability, we emphasize that when The Park ‘N Fly Guy isn’t attracting new business and vacation travelers, he can be found satisfying his own wanderlust (while leaving his car at the company’s Atlanta airport facility). Even more, The Park ‘N Fly Guy has visited every continent except for Antarctica—and he is always accompanied by his trusty guitar.
SCN Branding was responsible for brainstorming ideas, creating the storyboard and finalizing the music editing. The video shoots took place at Park ‘N Fly’s parking facility and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. We teamed up with Soteria Productions for the filming and closely oversaw video post-production.
Our goal was to create a commercial that was humorous while conveying Park ‘N Fly’s commitment to stress-free travel, as well as the company’s long-standing mission of making people smile (even while parking at the airport!) in mind.
The Park ‘N Fly Guy campaign will be used across all marketing and promotional platforms, including the company’s website, emails, social media ads, brochures, billboards and airport shuttles.