Forget the Wells Fargo Wagon — the hot new vehicle connecting with shoppers across the United States is Facebook‘s custom Airstream. Representatives from the Meta-owned platform are hopping into their big blue van for a six-city road trip that will highlight various community-focused features that are available on Facebook.
The tour began with a kickoff event at Melrose Trading Post in Los Angeles. At that activation, as with the successive stops on the cross-country swing, Facebook offered a mix of Marketplace deals and activities led by creators. Sellers like Justin Miller hawked vintage wares that are typically sold through Facebook’s popular ecommerce hub, while photographer Thalía Gochez used cosmetic Marketplace purchases to refresh attendees’ profile pictures.
In other words, the tour is like a Facebook-ified version of Antiques Roadshow. Upcoming stops include Boulder, Dallas, Nashville, and New York City.
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Facebook’s emphasis on Marketplace is no surprise, especially when you consider Gen Z’s established affinity for secondhand shopping. That trend inspired Pinterest to open up a virtual Thrift Shop, but Facebook has found a way to one-up the competition: It’s delivering those pre-owned finds to real-world locations across the country. Attendees who visit the Facebook Airstream while it’s parked will be able to step into a Remix Lab, where dated garments can be refashioned into upcycled looks.
The coast-to-coast swing is also part of a recent wave of multi-city event series led by digital media companies and platforms. At the start of the college football season, for example, Culture Media kicked off a college campus tour that will visit some of the most storied football venues in the United States.
The increasing frequency of these tours speaks to the widespread nature of today’s creator industry. Social media content isn’t just a Los Angeles and New York thing anymore. Cities like Dallas are becoming creator hotbeds as well, so companies are hitting the road to meet their communities wherever they reside.
Meta sees creators as key players in its plan to revive the joy of old-school Facebook. Events like the one at Melrose Trading Post show what that spirit looks like. If you want to join the fun, keep your eyes peeled for a bright blue Airstream.
