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.

Catch a Ride by Lauren Murray
Catch a Ride by Lauren Murray
Catch a Ride by Lauren Murray
Catch a Ride by Lauren Murray
Catch a Ride_Activation
Catch a Ride_Activation
Catch a Ride_Advertising2
Catch a Ride_Landing Page
Catch a Ride_Advertising

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.

    • 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

    • 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)

    • Resounding success among stakeholders, resulting in development year two iteration (in progress)

    • HSMAI Adrian Awards, Gold President’s Award for Integrated Campaign - Experiential Marketing 2023

    • Maryland Tourism & Travel Summit, Best Media and Public Relations Campaign 2023

    • Strategic & creative development

    • Director of program execution & integration

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