All Case Studies

Crosley Cruiser

A record store, on wheels

Image of the Crosley Cruider Spinning Record Store logo
Image of the Crosley Cruider Spinning Record Store logo
Image of the Crosley Cruider Spinning Record Store logo
Image of the Crosley Cruider Spinning Record Store logo

My Role:

Illustration

Creative Direction

Overview:

2016

Mobile Brand Activation

Overview

Promoting a vintage brand with a modern twist

Did you know Crosley Radio is headquartered in Louisville, KY? I didn’t, until I met their team. At the time, we were in the midst of a vinyl resurgence among millennials, and Crosley was looking to create something special for this audience. Their idea? A 20-foot box truck transformed into a “spinning record store” that would travel to events across the country, promoting the brand. When they asked me to turn the truck’s exterior into an art piece that would resonate with young music lovers, I was all in!

To kick things off, I headed down to the warehouse to see the truck in person, take measurements, and snap a few photos. Now, the fun part was about to begin!

Image of the box truck before the build out
Image of the box truck before the build out
Image of the box truck before the build out
Image of the box truck before the build out

This is what the truck looked like before we began. While I focused on the exterior design, the Crosley team transformed the interior into a mobile record store, complete with listening booths, record players, and a jukebox.

Animated gif of early sketches
Animated gif of early sketches

Some early sketches from the initial ideation sessions.

Some early sketches from the initial ideation sessions.

Image of the final design for the driver side
Image of the final design for the driver side
Image of the final design for the driver side
Image of the final design for the driver side

After a few design iterations and color exploration we landed on this design for the drivers side...

Image of the final design for the passenger side
Image of the final design for the passenger side
Image of the final design for the passenger side
Image of the final design for the passenger side

…and this design for the passenger side.

Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork

A few more detailed shots.

Image of a design mock presented to the team
Image of a design mock presented to the team
Image of a design mock presented to the team
Image of a design mock presented to the team

Remember the photo of the plain white truck? I used those images to create the design mocks I presented to the Crosley team.

Image of the concept sketch and mockup I presented to the Louisville Tourism team
Image of the concept sketch and mockup I presented to the Louisville Tourism team
Image of the concept sketch and mockup I presented to the Louisville Tourism team
Image of the concept sketch and mockup I presented to the Louisville Tourism team

A mockup of the final design from the passenger side.

Image of the concept sketch and mockup I presented to the Louisville Tourism team
Image of the concept sketch and mockup I presented to the Louisville Tourism team
Image of the concept sketch and mockup I presented to the Louisville Tourism team
Image of the concept sketch and mockup I presented to the Louisville Tourism team

A mockup of the final design from the front.

Image of the Crosley Cruiser making the local news
Image of the Crosley Cruiser making the local news
Image of the Crosley Cruiser making the local news
Image of the Crosley Cruiser making the local news

As the Crosley Cruiser neared its debut, local news outlets started picking up our story.

Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Close-up shot of the final artwork
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild
Image of the Crosley Cruiser out in the wild

After its debut, the Crosley Cruiser hit the road, popping up at local events and music festivals. Here’s a glimpse of it in action, captured through social media snapshots.

Looking back, this project was special to me for several reasons. As an artist, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing people engage with your work, especially when it brings a smile to their face. Experiencing something you originally created on a small screen transformed into a 20-foot mobile billboard is very cool. However, what's even cooler is making a new friend along the way. Jason and I have stayed in touch over the years and were even teammates in a kickball and basketball league. These are the types of clients designers dream of.

If you need some creative help promoting your brand (or just need a basketball teammate), please get in touch! 😁

Fair warning: I’m much better at designing than shooting hoops!

Robby's artistic ability and eye for design is impressive, but what really sets him apart is his professionalism, communication, and overall approach to collaboration. He seamlessly combines his creative vision with a deep understanding of business needs, making him a rare find. He took my idea for our mobile record store truck and made it 10x better. If you want to make your product/brand stand out, Robby’s vision won’t disappoint. 

photo of Jason Lee Menard

Jason Lee Menard

Director of Marketing, Crosley Brands

Robby's artistic ability and eye for design is impressive, but what really sets him apart is his professionalism, communication, and overall approach to collaboration. He seamlessly combines his creative vision with a deep understanding of business needs, making him a rare find. He took my idea for our mobile record store truck and made it 10x better. If you want to make your product/brand stand out, Robby’s vision won’t disappoint. 

photo of Jason Lee Menard

Jason Lee Menard

Director of Marketing, Crosley Brands

Robby's artistic ability and eye for design is impressive, but what really sets him apart is his professionalism, communication, and overall approach to collaboration. He seamlessly combines his creative vision with a deep understanding of business needs, making him a rare find. He took my idea for our mobile record store truck and made it 10x better. If you want to make your product/brand stand out, Robby’s vision won’t disappoint. 

photo of Jason Lee Menard

Jason Lee Menard

Director of Marketing, Crosley Brands

Robby's artistic ability and eye for design is impressive, but what really sets him apart is his professionalism, communication, and overall approach to collaboration. He seamlessly combines his creative vision with a deep understanding of business needs, making him a rare find. He took my idea for our mobile record store truck and made it 10x better. If you want to make your product/brand stand out, Robby’s vision won’t disappoint. 

photo of Jason Lee Menard

Jason Lee Menard

Director of Marketing, Crosley Brands