Parts and Accessories Company RealTruck's New Identity Brings Community Together

RealTruck, the largest off-road parts and accessories company in North America, has hired Tombras to help with a massive brand transformation, taking the company from transactional to experiential. RealTruck’s new identity lives under the brand’s 'In The Real' campaign, which focuses on the RealTruck community doing Real Things in their Real Trucks.

Tony Ambroza, chief growth officer at RealTruck, is the architect of the rebrand. Prior to joining RealTruck, he spent a decade at Carhartt as chief brand officer, where he transformed the company from an outdoor work brand into the iconic lifestyle brand it is today. Prior, he led Under Armour as director of brand marketing and Nike in brand marketing.

"Truck and Jeep enthusiasts are among the most passionate people in the world when it comes to customising and perfecting their vehicles for life’s many adventures," said Tony Ambroza, chief growth officer, RealTruck. "This brand transformation is about establishing the most powerful brand we can, laying a foundation for all future marketing efforts, to show consumers that we understand their passion, share it, and will do everything we can to help them get outdoors doing what they love with their vehicles thanks to all the incredible products we manufacture and sell."

Included in the transformation is the company’s recent name change from TruckHero (parent company) to RealTruck (previously only the e-commerce extension). Tombras led this effort through visual storytelling, imbuing the brand with humanity and highlighting the importance of shared experiences over product promotion. Tombras is working with RealTruck to develop a brand community of people who understand not only the thrill of adventure, but the joy of sharing it with others. 

The name change comes as Tony and RealTruck work to move beyond selling products to curating experiences for customers, who are passionate about their trucks. The RealTruck name defines their culture and becomes a way to stand for something and to build a community of like-minded people, and as the name of the existing e-commerce brand, the company already had brand awareness to build upon. 

• Tombras has helped drive the following executions of the rebrand:
• Integrating a comprehensive brand identity across RealTruck social and digital touchpoints and retail advertising, as well as brick-and-mortar offices and distribution centers, channel partnerships with manufacturing brands, jobbers and retailers.
• Brand colours, fonts, iconography, photography 
• Newly created influencer marketing identities for 'Real Truck Crew,' a new influencer-led program devised by Tombras. Unique identity includes logo lockup and swag (that will eventually be offered to all consumers via ecommerce) 
• Off-The-Grid Brand Activation: Launched on National Get Outdoors Days, this activation was a real-world manifestation of the 'In The Real' campaign. The hidden Off-The-Grid Coin from RealTruck and onX was worth $10,000, and RealTruck dropped clues over the course of a month to help lead the lucky winner to its location. The first person to find the coin won the $10,000, with ten other adventurers receiving $500 in RealTruck products. Those on the hunt for the coin were encouraged to use the hashtag #OffTheGridCoin.

"RealTruck is one of the strongest aftermarket accessories manufacturers and online retailers in the country, and this moment is vital as they transition to a lifestyle brand that will become more recognisable and synonymous with truck and Jeep customisation," said Dooley Tombras, president, Tombras. "Under Tony's leadership, we're confident that this transformation will usher in RealTruck's next stage of growth, bringing them closer than ever to consumers."

Tombras was named AOR for RealTruck in 2021.