LOS ANGELES—It’s a question that’s top-of-mind for brands right now: How can you promote your products in clever, memorable ways while still respecting social distancing regulations? For skincare brand Ole Henriksen, the answer lied in a vintage ice cream truck.

To coincide with the launch of its new Lemonade Smoothing Scrub, the company tapped Gladiator Productions for a colorful activation geared toward influencers, VIPs and other tastemakers in the Los Angeles area. Playing off the lemonade theme, the team wrapped an ice cream truck with images and artwork of the new product and curated a menu that included cocktails incorporating real materials from the product, vegan lemon sorbet, a gift box and, of course, bottles of the Lemonade Smoothing Scrub.The truck offered cocktails—developed by Sunset Boulevardier—that incorporated organic materials from the product itself. Lemon vegan sorbet, plus VIP gift boxes with branded drinking glasses and yellow sweatshirts and sweatpants, were also handed out.Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions

Atop the truck was a 6-foot-tall replica of the Lemonade Smoothing Scrub; producers worked with scenic partner Tribal to secure the prop. Brand founder Ole Henriksen himself (pictured) traveled with the activation to greet VIPs.Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator ProductionsDubbed the “Ole Glow Rider,” the truck—which featured a 6-foot-tall replica of the product on top—made timed deliveries to peoples’ homes from Jan. 5-6. The brand’s founder, Danish cosmetician Ole Henriksen, traveled alongside it to personally greet the VIPs.

“Ole Henriksen is a brand that is serious about their product, yet super fun and with a sense of humor,” explained Seth Dolan and Eric Faamausili, the co-founders of Gladiator Productions, in a joint interview. “They came to us in August because this was an important launch for them, and they wanted to do something that would be fun and create a togetherness in the new year.”

The brand was also very aware that the COVID-19 situation was ever-changing, so asked the Gladiator Productions team to prepare for a variety of scenarios to ensure everyone’s safety. “By creating an event that engaged their audience who already love the brand and the founder, it was such a human way to help this community know the brand cares about them, and their safety, and to create a positive conversation about the product,” added Dolan and Faamausili.

The team used branded PPE to keep staffers safe without sacrificing the activation’s bright and colorful theme.Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator ProductionsLaunching an in-person activation in Los Angeles—now known as the COVID-19 epicenter of the United States—was no easy feat. The truck was carefully engineered to follow all current city guidelines for deliveries, with the service window as the only point of distribution. In addition, staffers followed all regulations surrounding testing and PPE—the latter of which was branded to tie into the activation’s bright color scheme. 

“We stay versed on what the film and TV industry is doing in terms of COVID safety, as those are some of the strictest around; we follow that to a T and accelerate it,” explained Dolan and Faamausili, noting that they are both certified COVID Safety Coordinators. “There have to be multiple fail-safes in place where you can screen, protect, screen again and continue monitoring protection so the crew and the guests feel safe. If you can’t do that, people can’t get comfortable—and if you can’t get comfortable, you can’t have fun! And if you aren’t having fun, why are any of us in this business anyway?”

How’s that for making lemonade out of lemons?The eye-catching truck made about 25 deliveries over a two-day period.Photo: Courtesy of Gladiator Productions