How Britten Makes Customers Standout in a Digital World
When Britten, Inc. was founded in 1985, owner Paul Britten painted banners and billboards by hand. The signage was flat, existing in a two-dimensional world. Fast forward 35 years and the company’s most popular product is now three-dimensional, sculpted foam.
In today’s digital world, sponsors and brands are always seeking ways to harness the power of social media. A perfect example is branded signs fans use for taking selfies. The signs have a far greater lifespan than their time at events as fans post photos on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media outlets.
“There’s a massive multiplier that never existed before,” said Britten, “making physical assets extremely important.”
Turning Signs Into Spectacles
Using Foam3D™ technology, Britten has elevated the selfie zone by creating small statues of logos, pro and college team mascots and more. Using a 3D scanner and computer-assisted sculpting, Britten transforms foam into a branded, event activation prop. Layers of epoxy coating are applied and the outer surface hardens, giving the sculpted foam sturdiness and longevity. “Fans are engaging with these new and exciting props,” said Britten.
Britten’s creations of lettering, logos, and mascots can be found on more than 30 college campuses (including Big Ten and Pac-12 universities), pro sports stadiums and during fan activations by major sports sponsors. Foam sculptures help colleges and pro teams build gameday hype, promote team spirit and help sponsors create engaging experiential where fans can make memories. “Fans are coming together and they're excited and taking pictures and sharing them in the moment,” said Britten.
For the CONCACAF Gold Cup match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Britten created a set of goalie gloves that were 14’x 20’ for Allstate that plays into the insurance company’s tagline – “In Good Hands.” It proved to be a popular spot for souvenir photos with people climbing on top of the fingers and into the palms of the hands to have their perfect moment captured.
“We started our sculpted foam product line two years ago, and it’s one of the company’s fastest-growing segments,” Britten said.
Putting Brands Where the Real Kickoff Happens
Another popular product is the company’s lineup of customized shipping containers. Developed three years ago, a BoxPop® is an upcycled shipping container that’s modified to serve as a bar, restaurant, store, VIP seating area, experiential activation area or any customized immersive experience.
“BoxPop® helps our customers create an immersive, interactive environment that can be quickly contained, closed and transported from one location to the next and then easily opened and set back up,” said Britten.
All the necessary event technologies are built into a BoxPop® custom container, including sound systems, plumbing, bar taps, electricity for cooking/refrigeration, retractable awnings and more. To make this seamless for customers, Britten has invested in the equipment, trucking, and specialty lifts to easily move the containers. “BoxPop® is very helpful for brands that want to make a big splash at stadium events or large-scale, fan activation,” said Britten.
Much like the base of a Tinkertoy system, a BoxPop® modular container also serves as a base for expanded activation zones. Trusses, lighting, flag poles, and other accessories can be added to create a larger-than-life environment.
Many customers opt to rent a BoxPop® as opposed to buying one. “Oftentimes, the rental is very desirable because customers don't necessarily want to keep or store the container,” said Britten. “They want to rent it for the length of their activation and then send it back. So we've found a lot of success on the rental side with the shipping containers.”
Britten’s goal is to help companies build their brand and the industry’s leading innovator has been achieving that through its Foam3D™ technology and BoxPop® lines.