Friday, July 31, 2009

Wicked on Fire!

My Friday started well in the Wicked depot...we had a lovely med student from Fitzroy return his van and he had only praise for our staff in Darwin and his roadtrip. Here he is popping his Wicked "Customers 4 Life" survey in our pimped out survey box.



We also had some Swiss boys pickup a van, they're on their way to Darwin on the Gibb River Road.



It was a great day at Wicked. No fuss customers, lots of time to evangelise on the web...but then disaster struck.


A wild-fire spread across the road from the Broome depot around noon today. As I ran up to investigate, a local tv journo from GWN stopped me in my tracks and asked for an eye-witness account of the natural disaster.


After the high of being on regional television, I thought my day was going splendidly. I plugged away on my Wicked tasks and then Chris received a phone-call at 3pm. A few Wicked girls had a van that was stuck in third gear at a caravan park. Fortunately it was just down the road, so we hopped in the Wicked rescue-mobile and picked their van up. The two of the girls were worried about their mate, who looked like she was seriously ill. I checked them into the local pistol club (all caravan parks were full) and the woman on guard took a look at the sick girl and told us to rush her to hospital -- she was suffering from severe dehydration!

The rescue-mobile turned into an ambulance and we shot off to the Broome hospital. I returned to the depot and the girl's swapped into their new van (Jim's Brazillian van, the best one in the fleet!). They'll be returning their van to Broome next week so I look forward to hearing how the rest of their day went.

Anyway - I have to cut this blog entry short as I must dash home to watch myself on the 5.30pm news...

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Mrs Wicked's Wisdom

After sending out lots of emails to our Australian agents this week, I’ve received some compliments regarding Mrs Wicked’s Wisdom, agents who have said the wisdom has “brightened their day” or is “soooo true”!

To those unfortunate souls who have yet to receive an email from a Wicked Employee, try and nab one! All Wicked staff members have an email signature that includes a weekly quote chosen by Mrs Wicked (one of the creators of Wicked Campers).

After working for a big multi-national company (where we had a boring, stifling email signature), its refreshing to have these unique and inspiring quotes sent out each week and I look forward to receiving the updates.

Here are some of my favourites:

"Life is not perfect; it never will be. You just have to make the very best of it and open your heart to what the world can show you. Sometimes it's terrifying and sometimes it's incredibly beautiful. And I'll take both, thanks." - Graham Nash

"Learn to ask questions. It is always better to ask questions than to make assumptions. Have the courage to ask questions until you are as clear as you can be. Once you hear the answer to a question, you won't have to make assumptions because you will know the truth."

Ask for what you want. Find the courage to ask for what you want. Others have the right to tell you yes or no but you always have the right to ask. Likewise, everybody has the right to ask you for what they want, and you have the right to say yes or no.

Eliminate gossip. Making assumptions is a setup for suffering because we usually gossip about our assumptions. We make assumptions and believe we are right, then we defend our assumptions and try to make others wrong.

While we're on an inspirational note, here are some good books/sites that have inspired me in the last few months.

The Power of Now/ A New Earth – Eckart Tolle
A Complaint Free World

But hey - this can’t be a Wicked blog entry if its full of rainbows, butterflies, sausage dogs (running through sprinklers) and chocolate waterfalls. One Wicked employee (not mentioning any names) once received this in a response to an outgoing email:

"If this still doesn't "sit" with your policy then let me know and I'll look elsewhere. With all respect maybe you need to take a bit of your own advice -


Mrs Wicked’s Wisdom:
Don't take anything personally. Relinquish self importance. Self importance, or taking things personally is the maximum expression of selfishness because we make the assumption that everything is about ''me.''


Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Happy Tuesday!

Unfortunately, nothing too funny to report today. I've spent some time informing our west-coast agencies know how many free Wicked Campers days they've received so far. We're still offering all our agencies the following incentive

"For every 7 days of Wicked Camper hire you book, receive 1 day of Wicked Camper hire anywhere in the world!" Such an exciting incentive. I've had a few agents write back some nice feedback:

"Thanks i might use it soon thinking of a road trip yay! Would it be available for the east coast?"

"Can we use this whenever? Or does it expire? How exciting- I plan to travel the world with Wicked ;-) literally :-) So we will keep booking and keep saving hehehe. 32 Days- only 333days to save for hahaha".

Today being a Tuesday has been full of hope, but little has flourished today...
- I was looking forward to receiving the RedFM jingle today (Red FM are writing up a jingle for our radio advertising), however it’s not going to be ready till Thursday. The guy that wrote the jingle sang it himself and it apparently sounds like a cool punk song - ‘Sex Pistols’ mated with 'Arctic Monkeys'. Cannot wait to hear it!
- Melissa Doyle from Channel 7's Sunrise replied to our quote request and said "You guys seem to have this covered pretty well. Not sure my fave quote would be of value! Thanks for asking though."
- No one has moonwalked through our depot walls dressed up as Michael Jackson. Truly devastating. Maybe tomorrow? Here's hope!
- On a lovely note, Surfin Steve uploaded his latest clip surfin' on Moreton Island. There's also some nudity and some great Wicked sticker product placement in the video. You can view it here.

This Tuesday jogged my memory of a hilarious email forward I received a while ago (though my day has been pretty good and I'm fortunate to be in a job where I look forward to work each day).

FAIRFAX NEWS LIMITED
TUESDAY, 28 JULY 2009

After running a thousand errands, working hours of overtime, and beingstuck in seemingly endless gridlock traffic commuting to and from theirjobs, millions of Australians were disheartened to learn that it was, infact, only Tuesday.

"Tuesday?" Canberra resident Doris Wagner said. "How in the hell is it still Tuesday?"

Tuesday's arrival stunned a nation still recovering from the nightmarishslog that was Monday, leaving some to wonder if the week was ever going to end, and others to ask what was taking Saturday so damn long.

"Ugh," said Wagner, echoing a national sense of frustration over it not even being Wednesday at the very least. According to suddenly depressed sources, the feeling that this week may in fact last forever was further compounded by the thought of all thework left to be done tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and, if Australians make it that far, possibly even Friday, for goodness sake.

"Not only do Australians have most of Tuesday morning to contend with,but all of Tuesday afternoon and then Tuesday night," National Labor Relations Board spokesman David Prynn said. "If our calculations are correct, there is a chance we are in effect closer to last weekend than the one coming up."

Added Prynn: "F**k."

Reports that this all has to be some kind of sick joke could not beconfirmed as of press time. Isolated attempts to make the day go faster, such as glancing at watchesor clocks every other minute, compulsively checking e-mail, hiding inthe office bathroom, fidgeting, or reading a boring magazine whilesitting in the waiting room, have also proven unsuccessful, sources report.

Labor Secretary Elaine Chao released a statement addressing widespread speculation that it might as well be Monday for all anyone cares."We understand this day has been tough on many of you, what with meetings mercilessly dragging on and an entire stack of files still left to organise," Chao's statement read in part. "Yet we urge Australians to show patience. The midweek hump is just around the corner, and we have strong reason to believe that Saturday will be here before you know it."

"Go about your lives as best you can," the statement continued. "Do not,we repeat, do not take a sick day, as it'll make the rest of the week that much harder to endure."

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Wicked Wisdom from Wil Anderson

Funny man Wil Anderson (stand-up comedian, host of ABC's 'The Gruen Transfer' and 'The Glasshouse' -- some of my favourite shows) submitted his Wicked wisdom today.


"Just saw in the paper you can get $25 for donating sperm. The ultimate cash in hand job..."

"Every time I hear NASA has sent an "unmanned probe" into space, it sounds like something lesbians use to get pregnant"...

"I love when you can still see the moon in the morning. Feels like it pulled an all-nighter and decided to stay up."

Huge thanks to Wil for the quotes, love them!

Our wannabe surfer, Surfin Steve has released his latest installment out where he aims to pash 69 girls in the one night at Surfers Paradise. It's a seemingly easy feat for the almost blonde, almost Aussie. Watch Steve get lucky here.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Onya Wozza

I've been seeking contact with a variety of Australian icons/celebrities asking them to supply their own original one-liner for our new Wicked vans (see blog post below).

I checked my inbox this morning and would like to thank Warwick Capper, the former Sydney Swans AFL player/porn star/politician for being THE FIRST celebrity to email me his wicked words of wisdom.

He sent me the following quote:

"Wicked Campers You Beauty the Wizard Warwick Capper".

He also mentioned he'll think up some more and send them in the next few days. Look forward to it. His official website also mentions that he can perform at Bucks and Hens nights for $1500 - I reckon he's selling himself short!!

My favourite quote that I received today was from David Lutteral, or "Luttsy" from the Nova 106.9 morning show (Brisbane) and The Footy Show (NRL). Luttsy provided me with this pearler of advice:

"Always BE YOURSELF; unless being someone else makes you more popular. "

Luttsy also loved the Warwick Capper quote and remarked "HaHa !! That's our Warwick !!!! Wait til you hear the rest of them!! I bet the word 'Capper' is mentioned in every one!! "

We're not only seeking input from celebrities. Former Wicked agent/mechanic Richard Hawkins (based in Alice Springs) has put his thinking cap on and I've also enlisted the help of Daniel, a local Broome truckie to gather up some wisdom from the truckie community. Fellow bloggers, ministers, pre-school teachers, streetsweepers, politicians, go-go dancers - I implore you to submit your quotes to us...you'll be spreading your wisdom all over Australia!

Monday, July 20, 2009

200 original one-liners

Wicked started back in 2000 with second-hand commercial vehicles and in 2009 we're phasing out our oldest vehicles (*tear*...you usually have the greatest adventure in our older vans) and putting 200 brand-spanking new vans on the road.

With brand-spanking new vehicles comes the need for new one-liners and new artwork.

We're inviting a variety of Australian celebrities/writers to conjure up and submit their favourite quotes for the back of our vans. We want fresh stuff from a selection of Aussie icons (none of the recycled-quotes you find on the web). So far I've been in touch with the likes of Kevin Bloody Wilson, Rolf Harris, and Hamish and Andy...it will be interesting to see who takes us up on the offer!

We're also inviting 10-20 artists to spraypaint vans for us with their original artwork. If you're an artist and would like your artwork on display all around Australia, let us know by emailing evangelism@wickedcampers.com .

Friday, July 17, 2009

All Around the World

In keeping with Wicked world domination theme, I attended the Kimberley Klub's "Around the World" party last night. Wicked were a sponsor of the evening, providing a Wicked Camper voucher + other Wicked goodies (lanyards, ticklers, etc) for the best dressed partier - you had to come dressed in the national dress of a country of your choice. I grabbed an old bedsheet, cut out some wallpaper and called myself Cleopatra - but I must've missed the target as everyone was calling me Pocahontas all evening...

Here are some pics from the night.

In the green: Former Wicked hirer! She returned her van that day after a 7-day Broome to Broome roadie.

Thanks to the fantastic crew at Kimberley Klub YHA for organising such a wicked party!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Wish you were here

Our Wicked Grafitti Artist visited us in Broome to paint up our depots 'Wish you were here' wall. Here's a pic of our first customers against the Broome wall.

He also had time to pop into the Kimberley Klub, Broome to grace their walls with some Wicked grafitti. I'll be back in the Kimberley Klub tomorrow evening for their 'Around the World' party...Wicked and Fosters are sponsoring the evening and giving out lanyards, stickers, ticklers and other assorted treats.

Speaking of parties our second Wicked Revival party will be held in Perth next month. We have joined up with Red FM and sponsored their Red FM listener party. It'll be held on August 3 and we're inviting current and ex-Wicked customers. If you like free booze and free love, email evangelism@wickedcampers.com for all the sordid details!

Monday, July 13, 2009

The Michael Jackson

It's out with the old and in with the new.

We have officially scrapped the "Wicked Campers Naked Special" and brought out "The Michael Jackson" special. About 5mins after I wrote my previous post (see below), Mr Wicked called and told me all about it - I couldn't stop laughing all evening. I love it, I love it, I love it!

Here's the deal (thanks to Sister Sam for the artwork).

It's time to learn how to moonwalk!
Or you can get some tips from Navi, the world's best Michael Jackson impersonator.
But please don't moonwalk into our depots looking like this guy.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Round-the-world Roadtrips

A pretty cool thing about working for an outrageous global company is that you can offer seriously fun incentives to get vans moving. Here is just a selection of the incentives we've previously offered potential Wicked customers

- Free spankings on pickup (one elderly German woman didn't know what a spanking was, presented her voucher and was shaken up when our depot girl walked to the other side of the counter and slapped her. Lightly of course.)
- 4.7% discounts on hires (because a 5% discount is boring)
- Free bottle of champagne if you flash your boobs (the popular prequel to the naked special)
- "If you're over the age of 60 leave your clothes on to receive a free day of hire" (we received a complaint from a 61 year old who was offended by the offer and sent us a video clip of himself in support of his defence)

The latest offer we're issuing in New Zealand isn't as quirky but its bloody good for anyone who has a round-the-world plane ticket!

Hire a Wicked van for 7 days or more and receive a bonus of 22 days of Wicked hire across the globe to use in the next two years. The offer is valid for a limited time only in the following countries:

5 days free x AUSTRALIA (one-way hires from Sydney or Brisbane to Cairns)
5 days free x CHILE (anytime)
3 days free x THAILAND (anytime)
3 days free x UK/Europe (between Nov – Mar)
3 days free x USA/Canada (between Oct – April excluding Feb 5 – Mar 7 2010)
3 days free x SOUTH AFRICA (anytime, except June 1 – July 11 2010)


Once Richard Branson starts flying to the moon we'll start offering 3 days free there too...






Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Your words on a van

When I spotted a blog entry last month written by Michelle Phillips about a Wicked van with the following saying "If God were a woman would sperm taste like chocolate?", I gave her the opportunity to come up with her own Wicked quote.

The winning quote was "Keep honking - I'm reloading my gun". Here it is in all its glory, recently spraypainted by our Wicked artist in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.




Michelle I hope this van hits your local IGA sometime soon...

Friday, July 3, 2009

Roadtrip to Rotorua

This video probably won't be as popular with the American middle age gay community (see posting below), but nevertheless it's the newest installment from the Wicked Evangelists, who had a quick pit-stop in Rotorua, New Zealand! What an amazing town.

Click here to view the video.

Special thanks to Kaitiaki Adventures (whitewater rafting), Hells Gate Thermal Park (mud baths) and Tamaki Village (maori cultural experience). Don't miss Rotorua on your next Wicked roadtrip...so much fun in one afternoon!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Our new target market?

I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I quickly logged into our YouTube account and saw that 900 people had watched the ‘Wicked Campers naked challenge’ video since I last checked (the previous evening). Fortunately YouTube has an insights link where you can view the demographics of your viewers and which pages are linking to the video.

Our biggest hit rate came from the USA! Weird, we’ve only just opened up there and the majority of our customers are Europeans and Australians? The “average profile” of our viewers were males between 45-55. Odd too, as our market are usually backpackers (60% female) between the ages of 18-35.

The penny suddenly dropped when I viewed which pages were linking to us. They were an assortment of blogs dedicated to naked men and gay love. The penny probably should’ve dropped earlier when I read this comment about our camera work:

"I mean, come on..show them naked and stop cutting off their sweet asses, it makes no sense. Find a focus point that is lower. People wanna see more ass, not more sky!!! and tell them to stop running so fast from the camera. it's pointless..linger the camera more on the asses and bodies please..”

With YouTube bestowing the video the following honours:
#3 - Top Favorited (This Week) - Travel & Events - Australia
#12 - Top Favorited (This Month) - Travel & Events - Australia
#33 - Most Viewed (This Month) - Travel & Events - Australia
#49 - Most Discussed (This Week) - Travel & Events - Australia
#61 - Top Rated (This Month) - Travel & Events - Australia

...I guess it really does prove the theory that sex sells!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Roadie: Broome to Perth

Had some regrets in Broome?


Leave town in a Wicked Camper!

At the moment we're doing a very funky special at the moment, no one-way fees if you book a roadtrip from Broome to Perth (saving of $200).

If you've embarassed yourself in Darwin and want to get the hell out of there too, call us for a good deal! 1800 24 68 69 or text 0438 096 250.