“Come Join Nature’s Choir”
Creative Strategy Group Task
Strategy, Design, Analytics
“The mascot that was built from the ground up, Ellie the Egret”
The Ask / Identify growth opportunities for Myrtle Beach travel and tourism, and develop an integrated creative campaign against the chosen target to boost the tourism.
The Data / Myrtle Beach, SC is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Its 60 miles of oceanfront beach, often referred to as the “Grand Strand”, attracts millions of visitors each year. In addition to the beach, there is also golf, shopping, dining, and nightlife.
The Mission / Myrtle Beach has a large amount of different outdoor activities, adventures, and wildlife for people of all ages. Of all the wildlife in the United States, birds attracted the biggest following. (Via the 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). With this rising trend of birdwatching, Myrtle Beach has the potential to become a prime location for avid fans of this activity. Not only will this campaign bring more birdwatchers to Myrtle Beach, it will also show them that Myrtle Beach has so much to offer in terms of a vacation destination.
With our tagline, “Come Join Nature’s Choir”, we wanted to convey a sense of belonging, adventure, and community. Our campaign is heavily focused on spending time with individuals who share a passion for similar activities, and by including “nature” in our tagline, we wanted to make the notion known that the area of Myrtle Beach has more to offer than just beach. Visitors who come to the Myrtle Beach area can enjoy a wide selection of activities to participate in, whether it be out on the golf courses, preservation safari tours. Furthermore, the word “choir” in our tagline is in reference to a flock of birds chirping like a choir singing. We felt this fit nicely with our target audience of birdwatchers.
Intriguing Insights
According to the 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, data showed that “101.6 million Americans — 40 percent of the U.S. population 16 years old and older — participated in wildlife-related activities in 2016, such as hunting, fishing, and wildlife-watching.” Furthermore, from this data, it has been reported that there are over 40 million avid bird observers, and that expenditures from wildlife watchers rose to over $75 billion. https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/news/birdwatching/report-86-million-americans-watched-wildlife-2016-20-percent-jump-2011/
Traditional (OOH) - Two variations of “Come Join Nature’s Choir” billboards launched throughout the streets, highlighting Ellie the Egret, Myrtle Beach, and a call to action to visit the campaign’s site.
Traditional (Print) - Three variations of what our magazine/print advertisements would look like. We decided to have the color blue to be prominent in our advertisements, as we wanted to evoke a sense of tranquility and peace. Each variation features our mascot, Ellie the Egret, joining in on the fun at Myrtle Beach.
Non-Traditional Media (Digital) - Utilizing the Facebook carousel feature and the power of Instagram to expand upon the story we are telling for Myrtle Beach. By using these applications, we will extend our reach and have our messages delivered to a wider audience.
