Social Media programs work best when they contain an element of real world interaction. It is one thing to like a brand on Facebook, quite another to have a friendly face to face conversation with a representative of that brand – especially if there’s a sugar cookie involved.
Our Redpath Acts of Sweetness Community Management team gets invited to dozens of community events each year. They travel to and from these events in a beautifully restored 1947 Divco sugar delivery truck. Founded in 1926, Divco stands for Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company and was well-known for its pioneering delivery vehicles, with only the VW Beetle staying in production with the same basic model for a longer period of time.
Our very own Divco, affectionally known as Divvy, has the snub nose and friendly, smiling radiator grill that was first designed in 1937. Here is Divvy at the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, driven by our Community Managers Anna and Rebecca.
When we launched the Acts of Sweetness program in 2009, it was clear that the Community Management Team needed a vehicle, needed to be mobile. We briefly looked at modern vehicles, which were easy to maintain and drive, but lacked authenticity. We needed something that helped express the heritage of the Redpath brand and decided to restore a classic sugar delivery truck.
Within days the team had become classic truck experts, scouring the net, finally deciding on a suitable candidate. When we found the truck that was to become Divvy languishing in a shed, both us and our client instantly fell in love with her.
After purchasing Divvy, she traveled by flatbed truck to Toronto, where we had her restored to her former glory. A modern engine complete with power steering, power brakes, heating and AC make her fit for today’s traffic.
Divvy and the Acts of Sweetness Social Media team are on the road year round, attending community events all over Southern Ontario. By now Divvy has her own fanclub, has been photographed thousands of times and is a familiar member of the annual Toronto Santa Claus Parade.
