When most people think of Orlando, they tend to think of iconic theme parks. So Visit Orlando challenged us to establish a brand identity for the destination as a whole that fostered a more meaningful connection with our audience.
In order to bring Orlando to life in a way that transcended the other iconic brands it is known for, we set out to position the destination against a core human value and tap into a latent desire in today’s “to do list” society. Playfulness.
Orlando is filled with fantastical environments that transport visitors out of the “real world” and into a “story.” It’s a place rooted in creativity and which inspires incredible stories for all those who visit. After all, travel is all about telling “the” story. A tale of the places we’ve been, the people we’ve encountered and the experiences we’ve had. The very best experiences have the power to stay with us forever. So we established the Never Ending Story platform to celebrate and share the unforgettable moments that unfold every minute in Orlando.
User-generated content (UGC) was integral to the campaign and a social sharing component was created, encouraging consumers to submit, view and share their most memorable “stories” in Orlando via OrlandoStories.com. This approach enabled BVK to bring the Never Ending Story to life organically, utilizing a cast of characters from around the world all united by this amazing destination.
Since the launch of the new campaign, the year-over-year marketing results across all our media channels have given us quite a tale to tell. Visit Orlando recorded the highest awareness to date and seen a double-digit point lift in intent to visit. The campaign has outperformed prior campaigns on all creative measures and encouraged a legendary number of UGC responses. All while increasing the ROI of every dollar spent and dramatically decreasing the cost to reach a single household. Were it an actual book, The Never Ending Story would surely be sitting atop the best sellers list.