#vanlife

[Kaido]

Living out of a van is now a sellable brand, used to pimp everything from camp food to wakeboards and even van parts.

http://jalopnik.com/even-hippies-living-in-vans-are-shilling-for-brands-on-1794423354

 

[Crono]

It's funny how cyclical these trends in behavior and societal change are.

 

[Franz316]

It depends what motivated them to live that lifestyle. If it was to 'stick it to the man' then I doubt they would endorse anything. If they took to the road just to live a free spirited lifestyle, then I doubt they care if they have to have a post sponsored once in a while.

 

[RossMAN]

I don't quite understand "the bags"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SqJCR0t6rE&t=8m34s

 

[Kaido]

It's funny how cyclical these trends in behavior and societal change are.

 

[Kaido]

It depends what motivated them to live that lifestyle. If it was to 'stick it to the man' then I doubt they would endorse anything. If they took to the road just to live a free spirited lifestyle, then I doubt they care if they have to have a post sponsored once in a while.

Yeah, but you still need money either way, so if someone offers you free potato chips & a fat check, I'd imagine it'd be hard to say no if all they want you to do is a post a picture of you on the road eating them. After reading that article, it sounds like I'm taking the wrong kinds of vacations, haha:

Since then, their sponsorships—which King prefers to call “alliances”—have included Kettle Brand potato chips, Clif Bars, and Synergy Organic Clothing. Last summer, the tourism board of Saskatchewan paid the couple seven thousand dollars to drive around the grasslands of central Canada with other popular vanlifers, documenting their (subsidized) kayaking trips and horseback rides.

I took a couple marketing classes back in college that were extremely eye-opening. My professor had been a high-level marketing manager at a global corporation. Learning how manipulative companies are with their advertising & branding efforts is the equivalent to Dorothy finding the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain. The amount of data you can get from online browsing habits is even crazier:

But the collaboration had not been an easy one; King had exchanged more than seventy e-mails with the “Outsiders” reps, who asked to approve the photographs and the captions in advance, and wanted to dictate what time they were posted. (Engagement rates are the highest at 11 a.m.)

While it definitely makes romanticized things like van dwelling feel less authentic, it is pretty cool that they can support their lifestyle simply by living their lifestyle with some additional advertising built-in. Beats having to do odd jobs in whatever area you're in or selling drugs, I guess.

 

[Kaido]

I don't quite understand "the bags"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SqJCR0t6rE&t=8m34s

Don't worry, we'll find you a good deal on a bulk pack on Slickdeals

 

[RossMAN]

Don't worry, we'll find you a good deal on a bulk pack on Slickdeals

Alternator sized, of course.

 

[Crono]

Must have been pretty much the same thing with men and women (particularly "flappers") who were young adults in the roaring 20s wondering how their kids ended up so straight-laced and suburb-bound.

 

[Thebobo]

I lived out of my 64 chevy van for a couple summers. I had rented a storage unit with electricity you could drive up to the unit plug in your TV or hotplate. Some of the double storage sheds bands rented to practice in it was quite the party.

I loved that van, RIP..