V is for Vacation

Postcard sent to prospective clients.

Known for its destination marketing experience with Yadkin Valley and its Wineries, Woodbine was invited to pitch for the North Carolina Department of Tourism account. Our team beat out several agencies to make the finals but the incumbent kept the account. On the bright side, our strong showing got us referred to the Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) promoting historic Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach.

An example of the monthly email push I sent to visitors. 

The Cape Fear Coast region was one of the state's largest moneymaking tourism industries; back in 2004, domestic travelers spent approximately $328 million but those were mostly business visitors, leaving the CVB thirsty for leisure tourists.

Research showed current advertisements did not speak to today's leisure traveler, mostly female decision-makers who use routines to relieve anxiety and seek low-risk options. I, along with a few colleagues, went on a working road trip and were struck by the childlike wonder of how visitors explored the areas' beaches and hidden treasures. Having myself lived a summer during college in Wilmington, I helped the creative team find lots of places for inspiration. This led to the tagline "Come and Play," and our campaign featured dreamy water-color enhanced photographs portraying nostalgic games like hopscotch, musical chairs and hide and seek.