Ocean City Department of Tourism & Business Development
Catch a Ride
To launch the new Somewhere to Smile About brand platform, the Ocean City Department of Tourism & Business Development wanted an activation to captivate travelers and promote the brand as a friendly, carefree destination.
So, we hit the road in a customized 1960s VW beach van with an OCMD-inspired footprint to encourage Mid-Atlantic residents to grab a key and scan it to win a trip to Ocean City, complete with a private concierge service.
OCMD gained awareness and engagement before the events occurred through an integrated media plan inclusive of radio, mobile billboards, social media influencer marketing and public relations - all directing users to landing page where they could register for the onsite key drawing.
At the events, guests lined up to grab and scan their key to see what they won: a handful of customized road trip kits or the grand prize trip to Ocean City.
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Mobile tour production and identification of event stops
Branded event footprint, inclusive of customized VW van, scenic design elements, lounge area and putt putt
Lead-gen optimized live contest
Landing page highlighting tour stops, contest entry pathway, influencer partners and hotel deals
Integrated paid, earned and owned media program with emphasis on public relations and influencer marketing
Prizing and fulfillment
Marketing toolkit that can be repeated at future events, inclusive of content and promotional items
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YEAR ONE
279MM program impressions and 60K engagements across all channels
4,700+ contest entries across three stops, with opt-in rate of 57% for future communication
38 smiling winners (8 grand prize trips, 32 road trip kits)
This program was a resounding success among stakeholders, resulting in a 3-year run and earning 770MM+ impressions and 40K leads.
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HSMAI Adrian Awards, Gold President’s Award for Integrated Campaign - Experiential Marketing 2023
Maryland Tourism & Travel Summit, Best Media and Public Relations Campaign 2023
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Strategic & creative development
Director of program execution & integration
Three years on the road.
Catch a Ride made a lasting impression, rallying travelers and stakeholders around Ocean City’s refreshed brand. Its success kept the now iconic van on the road for three years—bringing smiles and reminding everyone that OCMD was just a road trip away.