Continuing our occasional look inside the re-branding of the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, this week the second ad in the new campaign appears in print. It is another outdoor-themed ad in Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine with a special focus on paddling. It’s a stunning ad featuring a beautiful photograph that will surely capture a lot of attention.
This ad campaign is designed to be very versatile. While the tagline and the background mountain photo remain constant, the dominant photo and the three-line headline change with each ad. The emotions portrayed through the headline can vary as well. An earlier ad with a focus on hiking alluded to some specific outdoor opportunities. Simply naming these well-known places conjures up a feeling of excitement and adventure. The newer ad is more emotional, speaking about the personal connections made on a getaway to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Yet another need for the RVCVB is advertising to the meetings and convention market. This ad campaign can reach that target audience in a creative way. Here is a sneak peek at an upcoming ad in a professional meeting planner’s magazine. While other destinations show photos of conference facilities, we are capitalizing on our greatest strength – the awesome Blue Ridge Mountains with a clever nod to the meaning of “break out session.”
Advertising a destination should be about conveying the experiences available, and not about touting a list of amenities. I think the three examples shown succeed at that objective. And it’s just the beginning for this great campaign.
