Although they’re required by law, people don’t like smoke alarms and don’t think about them until they yell at you for burning dinner or chirp in the middle of the night. It’s no wonder they’re often ripped off the ceiling and shoved in a drawer.

We wanted to show that smoke alarms don’t have to be annoying. They can be a welcome addition to the home, providing information with a human voice rather than beeps. They can light the way for you in the dark.

How could we transition people’s emotional reaction to a smoke alarm from dislike to love?

Everyone loves fire trucks. They’re beloved childhood toys and represent something beautiful and pure: bravery, safety, honor, and really loud noises. So we bought a truck and worked with West Coast Customs to create a Nest Fire Truck that would engage people and actually excite them about Nest Protect and fire safety.

We created a kids play and learn area, a #nestfiretruck Instagram photo booth, and several experiential demos where consumers could learn more about Nest Protect. We even gave out free rides to fulfill the dream of riding in a fire truck.

Buzz around the Nest fire truck swept across the nation. Upon launch we achieved over 15,500 views of our blog post, over 800 tweets, and dedicated media articles across top-tier media titles which showcased the consumer excitement around the product.

People’s love for the truck helped us educate tens of thousands of consumers across the country through interactive experiences. And from an industry perspective, Cult of Mac, one of the world’s most read technology sites, led with the headline ‘This is How to Promote a New Product’ (Jan 2014).