Energy storage, such as using trailers of batteries, to store renewable electricity also will help utilities manage the supply and demand of solar and wind.

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For them, there are boutique companies such as Timeless Travel Trailers, of Wheat Ridge, Colo.

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Theaters show trailers such as Miramax Films' "Shakespeare in Love" for free, at the urging of studios.

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Commissions to design commercial trailers, such as a rolling cigar bar, helped carry the company through the recession, he says.

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And from book trailers to Twitter accounts to potentially viral videos, such as TED Talks, writers have, in fact, been using the Internet in more innovative ways.

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What the adventurous trailers do is raise awareness in the design community, and in magazines such as Dwell or Architectural Digest, sending the message that Airstream isn't just a vintage brand.

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