Bodyarmor, Slim Jim, Valvoline & Others Target Summer Road Trippers
With more Americans choosing road trips over air travel this summer, brands are rethinking how to engage consumers in real-world, real-time moments.
GSTV — whose video platform plays across more than 29,000 fuel retailers and sites — is tapping into that behavior with its first “Summer of Drive” campaign, offering advertisers a full-funnel, omnichannel activation that reaches drivers as they fuel up.
Blending original content, influencer activations and contextual ad placements, the campaign has drawn a mix of cross-category sponsors, including Fiji Water, Bodyarmor, Slim Jim and Valvoline Instant Oil Change — all aiming to connect with consumers during high-intent travel and shopping periods.
“Summer is undeniably road trip season, with an overwhelming majority of GSTV viewers planning to drive to their destinations,” Kristina Lutz, executive vice president of marketing at GSTV, said in a media release shared first with P2PI. “We’re offering our brand partners exciting ways to reach large, diverse audiences at scale when they are both highly attentive and ready to make purchase decisions.”
At the Pump, in the Path to Purchase
At the core of the campaign is GSTV’s ability to deliver video content and branded messaging to consumers during a “natural pause point” — while fueling up, Lutz told P2PI. According to Lumen Research, 95% of GSTV impressions receive direct visual attention, while Affinity Solutions data shows consumers spend four to five times more in the three hours after fueling.
“While drivers are at the pump, it’s important for Valvoline Instant Oil Change to partner with someone like GSTV to remind drivers of the maintenance their vehicle may need,” Jake Lestan, vice president, brand and growth marketing at Valvoline Instant Oil Change, told P2PI. “This contextual relevance helps us connect with prospective and current customers when thinking about their vehicle is top of mind.”
To align with seasonal demand, Valvoline is delivering car care tips on-screen and reinforcing its message with research. Nearly half of respondents in a company survey said airline mishaps influenced their decision to drive this summer — and 75% planned to get an oil change before hitting the road, Lestan said.
The brand is measuring campaign impact using media mix modeling, coupon redemptions and store visit data.
Content Meets Commerce
The campaign’s content slate is powered by GSTV’s Ignite Studio and partners including Big Machine Label Group, TikTok and Matador Network. Highlights include:
- “Full Tank: The Ultimate Dad Road Trip” – A comedic series featuring creator Tank Sinatra and comedian Paul Virzi on a cross-country trip, integrating Fiji Water.
- “Soundtrack to Summer” – Music with country artists from Big Machine.
- “Must-See America” – Travel inspiration from Matador Network.
- TikTok content featuring trending snacks and destinations.
GSTV is also working with creator marketing platform Influential to activate “surprise-and-delight” moments at the pump, including free gas giveaways filmed on-site and distributed across social and GSTV screens.
“With road trips on the rise, this initiative helps us stay top-of-mind when people are actively planning, moving and reaching for trusted hydration,” Clarence Chia, SVP of marketing at Fiji Water, told P2PI.
Chia added that the campaign supports Fiji Water’s broader seasonal strategy, which includes a focus on its new 700mL portable bottle. “Aligning with content that entertains and informs allows us to tell a richer story that resonates emotionally, not just functionally,” he added.
Driving Impulse With Slim Jim
Conagra’s Slim Jim is leveraging the campaign to drive impulse purchases near the pump, a key location for the meat snacks category.
“Snacks are a highly impulsive purchase, especially in the c-store environment,” Matthew Brown, brand director, Slim Jim, told P2PI. “GSTV is uniquely positioned to reach a briefly captive audience at the pump who are just steps away from the point of sale.”
Brown noted that protein snacks are up 20% year over year (Circana), and summer road trips are a peak consumption window. The brand is participating in a sales lift study to evaluate ROI from the campaign.
Aligning Sports and Hydration With Timing
Coca-Cola’s Bodyarmor brand is positioned as the “Official Sports Drink” of the Summer of Drive campaign.
“Hydration is essential during the summer, especially on long road trips — making this a key opportunity for Bodyarmor to connect with consumers when they need it most,” Sara Weaver, VP of marketing at Bodyarmor, said in the GSTV release.
The brand is featured across video and ad placements that reinforce functional benefits during long travel stretches and hot summer conditions.
Retail Media in Motion
In total, the campaign reflects the expanding definition of retail media — reaching shoppers not just in-store or online, but at physical waypoints where purchase decisions are imminent. With surprise-and-delight creator activations, real-time gas giveaways and a focus on full-funnel measurement, Summer of Drive is an example of how brands are leaning into contextual, location-based marketing with performance goals in mind.
“GSTV complements other media channels we deploy in digital, video and audio to generate a ‘surround sound’ approach to reaching drivers,” Lestan said.
To support these outcomes, GSTV works with third-party firms to provide customized measurement based on campaign KPIs.
“We partner with best-in-class third-party measurement firms to ensure campaign impact is both visible and measurable,” Lutz said. “Depending on a brand’s KPIs, we offer sales lift at the SKU level through Circana, foot traffic attribution via Foursquare, mobile brand lift using MFour, and web conversion or app downloads via Kochava.”
