Top flooring retailers from across North America met at a 55-acre ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas, for Mohawk’s latest SmartStrand carpet brand activation.

“2023 is the year we bring the rhino back,” said Jeff Meadows, president of residential sales, Mohawk. 

The flooring manufacturer installed SmartStrand carpet in a barn at the Rhinory, where wines and a 4,000-pound white rhinoceros named Blake team up for rhino conservation.

“Our focus is on world-class wines and rhino conservation, allowing you to sip while enjoying the majestic beauty of the second largest land animal on Earth,” said Craig Stevens, owner of the Rhinory. 

Blake lived his best life on SmartStrand carpet for two weeks while Mohawk’s marketing team documented the entire process—from installation to cleanup. 

“It was the highest traffic area of his barn, so he spent a lot of time there—slept on it, walked on it—up to 16 hours a day,” said Denise Silbert, vice president of marketing, Mohawk. 

The goal of the campaign is to illustrate the durability and cleanability of SmartStrand carpet so that flooring retailers can share the story with consumers and increase carpet sales. The brand activation gave retailers a first look at campaign messaging and in-store displays.

“Everything ties back to making SmartStrand a success and to help your business grow,” Silbert told retailers.  

“I am very impressed with Mohawk and how they tie in nature to the fiber and to the consumer,” said Doug Chadderon, president of Great Floors, which serves the Northwest United States through 21 locations. “I’m an old rug peddler—I wouldn’t think of this, but it resonates with a younger audience, a smarter audience that really does care about the environment.”

See a sneak peek of Rhinory here.