Austin Brand Blitz: Building Brand Love in Texas

The Challenge

Transform Austin from a growth opportunity into a Fable stronghold—without a single retail store. Six weeks to prove that concentrated cultural investment could outperform traditional awareness spend.

The Stakes: Prove a repeatable market entry playbook or risk inefficient expansion strategies.

The Insight

Austin doesn't want to be sold to—it wants to be understood. So instead of shouting our message, we whispered it in the city's own language. "Keep Austin Timeless" replaced "Keep Austin Weird."

The strategy was simple: become part of Austin's story, not just another brand passing through.

How We Did It

Phase 1: Make Them Look Twice

Premium billboard on the city's main artery. 300 wild postings across South Congress with tear-away mug pins. 20,000 direct mail pieces to targeted households. The creative was so Austin-specific that locals started photographing and sharing it unprompted—our OOH became their content.
Phase 2: Make Them Feel Something

Table Notes supper club: 20 carefully curated guests, live music by The Bros Fresh, reimagined heirloom recipes served on Pearl White Collection. We didn't pitch product—we created an evening people would remember.
Hot Luck Festival: 1,000+ interactions at Austin's premier food festival. We showed up where the culture already gathered.
Influencer gifting: 20 Austin creators, zero posting requirements. 60% shared anyway. Authentic advocacy can't be bought, only earned.
Phase 3: Make Them Ours

Heritage Poutinerie pop-up on South Congress: 500+ poutine servings in signature Fable mugs. 492 email captures. A Canadian classic served Texas-style, because tradition doesn't have to be precious—it can evolve.
Branded food trailer, Ford Bronco photo moment, and a line down the block despite 95-degree heat. They came for the poutine. They stayed for the story.

The Results That Mattered

441% regional traffic increase (goal was 150%)
569 new email subscribers (162% of goal)
29% daily revenue lift

But here's what the numbers don't show: Austinites made our campaign their own. They shared our billboard. They posted our pop-up. They wore our merch. We didn't just enter a market—we became part of a community.

Austin now leads all Texas markets: