Volkswagen, sponsor my big US road trip!

Dear Volkswagen,

I am currently planning a thirteen thousand mile road trip encompassing the USA in my VW GTI. The trip will be kicking off in June of 2017. I plan to film the entire trip and have six years experience as a videographer and editor. I have filmed and edited over 30 full length DVDs and a large amount of promotional material. I am reaching out to inquire if you are at all interested in sponsoring or collaborating on a video of my trip. Ever since purchasing my first and current VW I have been an enthusiast and regularly attend our local ‘Tampa Bay GTI Club’ meets. I am also an admin of our group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/tampavwgticlub/) with over a thousand members. I am not sure what exactly I am seeking for your involvement but would certainly be open to anything you had in mind.

Mayo’s 2017 U.S. Tour

The Trip

Departing from St. Pete FL I will be headed east and then north along I-95 and eventually working my way up to Maine. From there, westward all they to Seattle. Then down the Pacific Coast Highway and eventually San Diego. Depending on surf conditions and feasibility Baja might make it to the map as well. I would have to rent an offload vehicle for that portion of the trip (preferably a VW!) Austin and New Orleans will be stops along the route back to Florida. Two months is my estimated trip timeline with thirteen thousand miles to be driven.

The Fun:

I am acquiring an inflatable paddle board along with a fold up bicycle and will also have my small, performance shortboard surfboard in the vehicle. I may or may not use a roof rack with a travel carrier but am concerned about gas mileage with such an apparatus.

The Motive:

In March of 2015 I received a call from the hospital in Greensboro NC. At the time, I was attending a bachelor party and instead of staying in New Orleans for 4 nights, I left after one in order to check my father out of the hospital and then move him from Greensboro to St. Pete Florida where I live. As his condition worsened I was unable to maintain my day job. Eventually, in October of last year, just a few days after my 33rd birthday, my father moved on to a better place. I will not say this trip is about him, but after getting to know him and learning about his regrets it certainly plays a role in my decision to take this trip. I will be making a few special stops to spread his ashes along the way.

The Mod’:

My GTI is stage 2 APR and lowered a very modest 1.2 inches. If I attain a mark seven GTI I will likely leave it at stock height but add on a stage 1 tune.
At the moment, I own my 2013 GTI out right but am not sure if I am going to trade it for a mark 7 or not. As I plan to park the car and bike, surf and do other such activities I am considering having a keyless entry, code style element custom fabricated onto the driver’s door so I don’t have to worry about hiding the key while out in the ocean and such. I might also custom fabricate a small safe to make camera equipment safer.

The Advertising:

My mark 6 GTI is currently sporting a custom wrap job I did myself (see images). If I attain a mark 7 I might do something similar but incorporate my ideaSwell branding onto it. However, if Volkswagen sponsors the trip I would certainly consider a VW themed wrap as well.

The Cost:

I plan to stay with friends and family along the way to keep the cost of lodging to a minimum. My gas estimates are coming in around $1300. I will have a cooler to maintain a healthy lifestyle but figure food costs may be around $1200. Parks, activities and tolls are likely to cost around another $1000. If I end up attending any music festivals my budget will rise dramatically. I will be doing some remote work while on the road (web design) to offset the costs a bit.

The Movie:

I am considering making an indie style film about the entire trip but to do that right would require a lot of filming along with a large amount of editing. If you sponsor the creation of such a film I would of course be sure to include a large amount of VW shots and potentially some out of the way meets with other, nation wide enthusiasts. Also I would visit some tracks and possibly drag strips (especially if I end up going with the Mark 7, stage one (with performance pack, of course)). If you sponsor this I would also recommend a few data drop points where I hand off a USB stick chalk full of all my footage up to that point. This way if the unthinkable happens, all is not lost.

The Commercial:

As I would really like to break into the film industry I would also consider doing a short, 30 second clip which could include shots of the car, driving and more within some of America’s best roads and scenery. I also have a few really good ideas for potential viral videos but hate to just give those away : )>.

About me:

I am 33 years old and since last July I have been running my own web design business (ideaswell.com). I grew up here in Florida, have a bachelors in marketing and certifications in web design and development. I love life and do my best to make every moment count. I have been working very hard the last year to make my business a success, often working long hours and foregoing fun related actives, much to the demise of my friends and girlfriend. This trip is a vacation long in the making. I love the ocean and having lived in Jacksonville, Fl for almost a decade and proud to call myself a ‘shredder’ (good surfer). I am outgoing and feel very blessed to have the ability to make friends wherever I go.

More Qualifiers:

I dont drink much at all these days when it come to alcohol. I have however become a member of the kava community and often set up my laptop and work at a local kava bar. I do not do any type of drugs and would have no issue with taking a drug test.

links & reference:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claytonbrownmayo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clayton.mayo.12
Business Site: ideaswell.com

Timeline:

As a freelance web developer my availability and trip scheduling is very flexible. I am trying at the moment to leave early enough to be in Connecticut for my mother birthday on June 5th. I have a few large freelance projects that might force a mid to late June departure.

Contact:

I can be reached by email via clayton@ideaswell.com.

Thank you so much your time,

Sincerely,

Clayton Mayo