Not knowing can be scary.
And recently, a friend and founder reached out with a pretty specific ask:
"I want to do some diligence to find out about pricing for something like this"
"What's your goal?" I asked.
Do you just want one bus to create some content of?
Looking to create an experience for key customers or investors?
Is the objective really a content play?
These questions matter. And I get it, if you're restricted to selling one of these option vs the whole menu, that can be a scary question to ask.
But understanding the JTBD (job-to-be-done), what the advertiser is trying to accomplish, is your fiduciary responsibility.
And also, in most cases, the advertiser doesn't even know what is possible.
In this case, they definitely didn't know they could rent their very own custom coach bus or that CGI-generated content could create the same effect across their social media because as anamorphic 3D has reminded us - the campaign is the content (and vice versa).
So what gives -which option is best? Is there a 'Best Option'?
The Comparison 🏆
For reference, all three options came in around a two-week lead time and as creative is subjective by nature, we did not consider creative costs for the two real options, though both included creative support from the partners.
Good 'Ole Wrapped Bus
This option would take advantage of one of the transit buses in use in the market and made up of three primary costs:
- The bus itself (advertising space)
- Printing and wrapping the bus (production and installation)
- Contracting and creating the content
Ad Space and Production for a 4-week run came in at $10,620 and after talking with Tim Hughes (the Spike Lee of OOH), he estimated the content piece of the project at $3,500 (flights, hotel, rental car, and two :15-30 second sizzle reels).
Estimated Investment $14,120
Custom Coach Bus
This option was the one that really got the brand's creative juices flowing. The creative opportunity, the leverage as an asset for other experiences surrounding events/conferences. Frankly, this was the one option that wasn't on their list that is now definitely pinned to the wall as "something we're going to do ".
- 5 business days of custom coach bus came in at $12,500
- With production and installation coming in at the same, $12,500
- You'd probably want to create a lot of content around this, so we're going with $5,000 to allow for a few days worth of shooting and additional cuts
You'd basically have your own tour bus for 5 days, fully-branded, and on the road to...wherever you wanted to, for whatever you wanted to do. Lots of great content would mean this lived on for a long time to come.
Estimated Investment $30,000
CGI-Generated Virtual Bus
This is the pure content play. Where the only reason you'd be doing the bus was for content and you wanted some degree of control - where the bus was "seen" or what it is "doing" seem like important criteria if your goal is to create content, and a CGI-generated option could be exactly what the doctor ordered if so.
- This option was all-in-one at $15,000
- Included is the creation of the virtual bus, and integration into selected environments (put it wherever you want, basically)
- And the creation of the finished content (two :15-30-second sizzle reels)
Estimated Investment $15,000
So which option is best?
It really depends what the goal is.
If the outcome is to just create content, we'd probably lean towards the CGI-Generated option because it's priced about the same as a Good 'Ole Wrapped Bus and gives you a ton more control over the finished product - from how the bus looks, where it is "seen", and how the finished content feels.
But if the JTBD is to impress a bunch of clients, investors, key stakeholders, etc.
Well then, a custom coach it is because for just $6K a day, including content creation, there may not be a more effective way to execute a project like this.
And if the goal is to create a dominating, tangible media impact, then we wouldn't just do one Good 'Ole Wrapped Bus - we'd do 100.
Because starting with the end result in mind and working backward makes 'how much a wrapped bus costs' less about the financial investment and more about creating the right solution.
