Case Study  |  Visit St. Pete/Clearwater

A Winter Wonderland

The Challenge

Exceed the previous winter's record double-digit increase in tourism visitation. Without increasing the budget.

    • The Solution

    Take full advantage of one of the most brutal winters in recent memory by contrasting the warmth and fun of St Pete/Clearwater with the interminable cold and dreariness of winter in three of St. Pete’s biggest feeder markets: New York, Chicago, and Toronto.

    To enhance this dichotomy of experiences, BVK reached commuters where they were most captive and the tedium of the daily routine most evident. By completely taking over buses, trains and subway stations, BVK assaulted weary commuters with warm-weather images and messages that contrasted with their winter hell. At the same time, BVK launched a series of guerrilla tactics–including bigger-than-life snow sculptures of dolphins, the sun and other warm weather icons of St. Pete. Sculptures featured the microsite INeedSun.com, which led prospective travelers to learn more about the destination.

    The Results

    Record Visitation to the Website

    108%

    Youtube Video Views

    1.1m

    The campaign helped set a third consecutive year of record visitation. Along with the record tourism numbers, record visitation (1.6 million ) to the website was also reported between January and May, a 108% increase from the prior year. 1.1 million views on St.Pete’s YouTube channel. And the campaign also helped propel bed tax collections to new records as well, exploding 22% in the most important month of April.

    More Travel & Tourism Case Studies

    Travel & Tourism

    Wyoming Office of Tourism

    To many, only Yellowstone and lines on a map separated Wyoming from its neighboring competition. Travelers needed compelling reasons to spend their next adventure in Wyoming. The “That's WY" campaign branded the authentic western experience in a way no other state could, by emphatically answering the question, “Why visit Wyoming?"

    View case study
    Travel & Tourism

    Visit Orlando

    To create an identity for Visit Orlando that was distinctive, yet able to share the stage with Orlando's other iconic brands, BVK defined the destination as the place where visitors can come again and again to write new chapters in their Never Ending Story. The campaign celebrates personal connections and the poignant moments that create unforgettable memories.

    View case study
    Travel & Tourism

    Maine Office of Tourism

    Coming off years of stagnant visitation numbers, Maine takes the path less-traveled to achieve one of the country's biggest tourism turn around stories.

    View case study
    Travel & Tourism

    Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism

    Despite being the #1 Caribbean tourism destination, research indicated low awareness of the Dominican Republic’s many great destinations outside of Punta Cana. To drive interest in of all five of the country’s beautiful tourist regions, BVK developed an integrated earned media strategy, leveraging a combination of social media, content strategy and production, broadcast programming integration and public relations efforts.

    View case study