Driving Brand Awareness (Literally): The Carl’s Place x Jordan Davis Story
What was the client asking for?
Brand awareness for Carl’s Place was at an all-time high. Since the pandemic, golf — particularly indoor golf — had been on a rocket-ship trajectory. The Gunpowder team developed a bold strategy to capitalize on that momentum through earned media, influencer partnerships and brand collaborations.
At this point, incremental growth required thinking beyond the traditional playbook. To continue scaling recognition and deepening the brand story, Carl’s Place needed to show up in unexpected, culturally relevant ways.
That was exactly what they brought to us: brainstorm bold opportunities to break through, tell a compelling story and generate real buzz.
What were the challenges?
The biggest challenge in pursuing this opportunity was timing — something we encounter with nearly every product seeding effort. Not everyone needs or has space for a golf simulator, so identifying a partner who had both the interest and the physical capacity was critical to delivering the right fit for the client.
Logistics also presented hurdles, though this was expected. The product offers hundreds of customization options, which is part of the brand’s value but also naturally adds complexity to planning and execution.
What was the solution?
The solution we landed on was bold, fun and super visible. Always a winning combination.
Through a strong relationship with the manager of several country artists — most notably Riley Green and Jordan Davis, we learned that Jordan is a huge golfer and wanted to bring a simulator with him on his North American leg of the “Ain’t Enough Road” Tour. His goal was to offer fans access to the simulator as part of a ticket package, while also giving him and his band a way to relax and unwind before and after shows.
Enter Carl’s Place.
After working through venue space limitations, tour logistics, simulator goals and content deliverables, we inked the partnership. The project required significant problem solving: although Carl’s Place enclosures aren’t designed to be portable, the Carl’s Place team and Jordan’s crew collaborated to develop a touring setup that would deliver on all fronts.
Once the tour kicked off, Jordan began bringing fans into the simulator while Carl’s Place received a steady stream of social content and UGC along the way. When the tour stopped in Milwaukee at the BMO Pavilion, the Carl’s Place team was in attendance—filming content, interviewing Jordan and enjoying an epic show. As a result, the team was able to develop several key marketing pieces across the brand’s social and owned channels.
Our PR team didn’t stop there. Gunpowder pitched this unique partnership across multiple outlets and secured coverage for the golf brand in one of the largest country music publications, Whiskey Riff.
In the end, the project generated real buzz. We helped Carl’s Place create meaningful content through the development of an engaging activation in an unexpected place, we strengthened our relationship with Jordan Davis and his team, and we successfully told a compelling story about how an unconventional idea came together on the road.
