Last month during New York Fashion Week, a host of brands not typically included in the luxury cohort that dominates the biannual event decided they didn’t want to be left out of the fashion fun — Ebay, Adidas and even Capri Sun each presented their own take on the moment, most of them off the runway.
True Religion got in on the action with a branded mobile truck that traveled the city for a day and then set up shop at Astor Place during the height of NYFW on Sept. 12.
“We’ve been focused on creating ‘can’t miss cultural moments’ that bring our brand to life in unexpected ways,” shared Kristen D’Arcy, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Digital Growth at True Religion in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “Our New York Fashion Week activation, ‘Icons in the City,’ was born out of our brand message Own Your True. We wanted to create an experience that felt both immersive and accessible, while also showcasing our ability to fuse science and art, combining data-driven insights with cultural instinct.”
True Religion’s Icons in the City mobile truck featured pop-up shopping opportunities, interactive experiences and opportunities to sign up for the True Rewards loyalty program. The truck also served to drive awareness of the brand’s new store in Queens, with help from Love Island season seven star Chelley B, who’s an alum of the borough’s St. John’s University.
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But beyond all that, the truck was just one piece of a much larger strategy aimed at propelling True Religion toward its goal of reaching $1 billion in annual sales: “By placing True Religion in the center of NYFW with a mobile product truck, we sent a powerful message — individuality is iconic,” said D’Arcy. “We are redefining what it means to participate in Fashion Week, showing that as an urban casual lifestyle brand rooted at the intersection of music, sports and culture, we can stand alongside couture while staying true to our DNA of accessibility and authenticity.”
Inside the Two-Day True Religion Truck Tour
Designed to highlight True Religion’s fall Icons collection, for the first day of its NYFW tour on Sept. 11 the truck traveled around the city, offering media and influencers a private gifting experience in Tribeca, Soho and Bryant Park. These VIP visitors were treated to exclusive perks like one-on-one styling, iron-on patches and custom tote bags to build buzz.
Then, on Sept. 12 the truck opened to the public and spent the day at Astor Place, where visitors could shop, personalize their pieces at a customization station and capture the moment in a photo booth. A range of items were available for sale, including varsity jackets, matching denim sets, activewear and women’s core denim. Attendees also received scratch-off cards with the chance to win one of three prizes, including “can’t buy” exclusives designed just for the True Religion community.
By all accounts the truck was a roaring, rolling success: In the one day it was open to the public more than 400 customers stopped by and True Religion sold more than $3,000 of merchandise, beating 17 of the brand’s retail stores that day.
True Religion Truck Drives Brand Loyalty
Beyond being a fun, high-profile brand awareness play, D’Arcy said the activation also was “a powerful way to bring our True Rewards loyalty program to life.” Both the scratch-off cards and photo booth were used as moments to capture attendees’ emails so that they could be reengaged after the event.
The mobile truck — combined with other brand efforts during NYFW which also included events at St. John’s University and in stores — resulted in a 707% surge in loyalty sign-ups year-over-year, with more than 3,000 new members added.
True Religion’s True Rewards loyalty program, which got a rebrand late last year, is now nearing the 10 million-member mark, and the NYFW activations were part of a larger effort to expand total membership by more than 40% this year.
“This was our first time activating with the mobile truck, and the response was incredible. The proof of concept could not be stronger,” said D’Arcy. “Looking ahead, we’re actively exploring ways to extend its use into other cities and cultural hubs. We see this as a scalable concept, one that allows us to meet our customers where they are and continue to create those unforgettable moments that define True Religion.”
