The brief
Goat hiking, spoon carving, and wine tastings. You’ll find them all about three hours northwest of Chicago in Galena Country, a picturesque grouping of 11 small towns. Despite its rich history, unique offerings, and distinctive character, the region faced challenges in awareness and perception.
Coupled with an aging visitor demographic, spikes in summer travel but severe dips in the off-season, and the lack of a competitive family offering, it was time to reposition Galena to connect with Chicago road trippers and new markets.
The idea
If you’ve been to Galena, you know that one word sums it up perfectly: Charming. In fact, you’ll find Galena ranked highest in basically every “top 10 charming towns to visit” listicle, so why not make Galena synonymous with the word?
Our “Welcome to Charming” campaign showcases Galena’s uniquely original experiences and things to do in a way that put its charm on full display. In addition, we juxtaposed Galena with not-so-charming locations and experiences—like riding public transportation, sitting in traffic, doing taxes, and waiting for baggage after a long trip.
The results
The campaign generated an impressive 90 million paid media impressions. With click-through rates soaring above industry benchmarks, engagement levels reached new heights, especially on TikTok, where 3,500 new paid followers joined the fun with over 25,000 engagements. The return on investment was outstanding, boasting a remarkable ~14:1 ROI focused on economic impact. Notably, 87% of the active users visiting the site were new, showcasing the campaign's effectiveness in attracting fresh audiences and driving excitement across platforms.