Just like miniature replicas are irresistibly adorable, giant versions of things inspire wonder, amazement, curiosity. They draw crowds, inspire impromptu photo shoots, and fix the brand’s product and its visual identity in viewers’ minds.
Remember the iconic Oscar Mayer Frankmobile, formerly the Wienermobile? It’s been cruising American streets from coast to coast since the 1930s.
How about the 13-foot-tall L.L. Bean Bootmobile? Or KFC’s giant bucket sign, which once rotated gracefully in front of the fried chicken chain’s stores?If you’ve spotted any of these in the wild, you probably remember it vividly — and that’s exactly the point.
Outsized Props for Brands of All Sizes
For decades, giant replicas were tough to come by; fabricated from metal or fiberglass, they were expensive, custom-made items available only to big brands. Today, however, brands of all sizes can afford to rent or buy three-dimensional, branded replicas of ordinary objects like food items, bottles, mascots, characters, and more.
These giant props can be custom-made, showing a product in its actual packaging, for example, or generic, like a giant slice of pie or massive spoon. They can be inflatable or 3D printed or fabricated from wood, plastic, fiberglass, metal, or polystyrene foam. Modern software makes it possible to create a replica that looks exactly like your product in every detail, but humongous.
Why Oversized Props Work
While giant props are nothing new, they still succeed at creating memorable experiences for your audience. Here’s why.
They create a sense of wonder
“Have you ever stepped into a room and felt like you had been magically transported into a parallel universe where the rules of scale and reality were delightfully skewed?” asks a recent post by WhiteClouds, a Utah-based company that fabricates custom props. That’s the heart of why oversized props are effective: they instantly create immersive, memorable experiences.
A giant prop — a 20-foot peanut, for example, or an utterly massive shoe — creates a sense of wonder and amazement in your audience.
They boil down a brand to its simplest terms
Without so much as a single word of ad copy, a bigger-than-life representation of your brand instantly tells passers-by what you’re about.
They grab attention
Audiences can't miss an oversized banana split, an enormous Cheez-It, or a giant bottle of gin towering over passers-by. Ginormous props are just weird enough to merit a second look.
They’re playful
There’s something lighthearted and a little absurd about a giant cup of coffee, a massive Cheeto you can ride like a mechanical bull, or a 26-foot-long peanut that contains a dive bar. Giant props often convey a sense of humor, creating a fun, appealing mood consumers are drawn to.
They create photo ops
Huge props are irresistible, and attendees will pose for photos with the oversized representation of your brand, then share the photos on social media. “With every selfie taken and every hashtag used, the reach of that prop — and by extension, the event or brand it’s connected with — multiplies exponentially,” observes WhiteClouds.
They stand out
At an expo, fair, festival, or other multi-vendor event, your brand faces a lot of bright, colorful, noisy competition for attendees’ attention. An oversized prop can literally help your booth, truck, or tent stand out among that visual clutter.
It can also function as a wayfinder that “helps the guests orient themselves within a rather large event space,” notes John Murray Productions, a Bay Area scene shop.
How to Use Huge Props
Oversized props easily capture an audience’s attention, evoking a mood and emotions and helping consumers connect with your brand in a tangible, immersive way.
A prop doesn’t have to replicate your product to accurately represent your brand, but it does need to match your identity and reflect your brand’s values, style, and personality.
Among other things, a giant prop can
Props are a great choice for brand activations and pop-ups because of their ability to simultaneously “explain” the brand and capture attention.
Brand Activations
Since the purpose of activations is to show consumers unfamiliar with your brand what you’re about — your products, your values, what differentiates you from other brands — big props are a great tool for getting your messaging across. “3D sculptures and large props can be instrumental in brand activation, transforming your value proposition into tangible, memorable experiences,” says Smash Design, an art fabrication company.
Pop-Ups
Depending on its location, a pop-up shop might not be immediately visible and identifiable to passers-by — particularly if it’s set up indoors. A giant three-dimensional depiction of the brand’s flagship product, its logo, or an object or scene central to the experience of the brand tells visitors what you’re about and helps them attach associations to your brand.
Case Study: Hellmann’s and Feeding America
Encased in a glass box, a giant mayonnaise jar bearing the iconic Hellmann’s label served as the centerpiece for Mayo For Meals, a campaign sponsored by Hellmann’s and Feeding America and created by Promobile Marketing.
Tied into Hellmann’s broader #MakeTasteNotWaste campaign against food waste, the giant mayo jar was featured in a Super Bowl ad and traveled from Phoenix, Arizona, through Missouri, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, ending its journey at Unilever headquarters in New Jersey. Hellmann’s incorporated a hashtag and photo opportunity as part of the campaign — and for every mile the jar traveled and every photo posted to Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok with the hashtag #MayoForMeals, Hellmann’s donated meals to its long-standing partner, Feeding America.
