Good Sam: From roadside service to road life brand
How do you evolve a roadside assistance brand into a cultural voice for modern travelers? As Head of Brand Creative & Social, I led the transformation of Good Sam, a 60-year-old roadside brand, into a modern lifestyle platform rooted in freedom, belonging, and the open road.
The Opportunity
Founded in 1966, Good Sam had long been a trusted companion for RVers but lacked cultural relevance with today’s road trippers. We needed to reintroduce the brand as a travel companion to all vehicles, not just a rescue service.
In 2023, the brand set its sights on something bigger: a shift from utility to lifestyle with the goal of reaching a new generation of adventurers without losing the community that built it.
The rebrand centered on one powerful truth:
Good Sam clears the way for the joy of travel.
What we set out to do:
Modernize a 60-year-old brand without alienating core members
Grow affinity with younger, adventure-seeking drivers
Establish a brand identity and voice that could scale across products, platforms, and partners
Align Good Sam and Wildsam post-acquisition under one cohesive vision
Build an in-house brand creative studio from the ground up
The brand already had the heart. Our job was to give it a voice that could move with the road.
The Approach
As Head of Brand Creative & Social, I led the transformation of Good Sam from a transactional service into a dynamic lifestyle brand.
Rebrand + Design System: Introduced a new look and feel inspired by nostalgic road signage and natural landscapes; developed scalable brand guidelines across channels
Omnichannel Creative Strategy: Launched story-first campaigns for new products (credit card, roadside plans, merch) rooted in lifestyle, not just features
Post-Merger Brand Integration: Unified two voice-led brands (Good Sam + Wildsam) with a shared system, governance model, and creative leadership
Studio Buildout: Hired, structured, and led a full-service in-house creative and content studio
Social & Community: Grew platform presence and engagement by spotlighting real members, creators, and road moments
Brand Anthem + Cultural Assets: Led creative for a 60s-inspired anthem film and photography series that celebrated the emotional pull of the road.
This wasn’t just a rebrand, it was a movement.
The Impact
The result was a more resonant, recognizable, and revenue-driving brand across North America.
Performance Gains
+118% increase in impressions and +35% engagement growth, driven by creator partnerships and narrative content
+33% email revenue growth with reimagined creative and cadence
Launched new products with clarity, cohesion, and creative lift
Brand Evolution
Reintroduced Good Sam as a cultural voice in travel and road life
Rolled out new branding across digital, print, retail, roadside kits, and more
Positioned Wildsam as a premium content layer under the larger Good Sam umbrella
Creative Operations
Built a scalable brand studio from scratch
Delivered cross-platform storytelling rooted in emotion, place, and community
Enabled creator and affiliate storytelling with strategic toolkits and content systems
In 1966 road-trippers, trailblazers and explorers came together with a shared spirit of adventure. They placed a simple sticker on their vehicles, a symbol of commitment to a community of drivers on the road. Good Sam was born. Today we are still a way-finding friend to drivers across the country. We’ve freshened up a few things but we’ve never been more committed to our heritage of travelers helping travelers. So go on, hit the open road. With Good Sam, you’re good to go.