• by Larissa Faw , November 25, 2019

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is out with a new campaign that doubles down on Colorado's best-known winter resource: snow.

The "Wow" creative, was developed with tourism specialist MMGY Global and creative services agency Karsh Hagan.

The ads feature a collection of winter wonderland moments from dog-sledding to ice caves, mountain towns, snow-tubing and hot springs as well as skiing and snowboarding.

Sample the creative work here.

Although the state’s bountiful supply of fresh powdery snow is the primary hook in this campaign, “Wow” serves as the latest evolution of CTO’s "Snow’s Perfect State" winter messaging platform, introduced to national audiences last year. The basic value proposition is that what makes Colorado special is not just its outstanding snow, but the state it falls upon. Indeed, without a distinctive hook, snow-directed tourism images are interchangeable for several states, including Wyoming or Utah. 

“This campaign draws its power from a brand-new core insight,” says CTO director Cathy Ritter.  “While travelers express love for many destinations, they fall in love with Colorado. This insight explains so much about why our visitors come back again and again, and why we Coloradans are so passionate about protecting Colorado ourselves."

The campaign uses video, digital and social to reach three audience segments, nicknamed the "range roamers," "movers & shakers" and "accomplished adventurers." They will be hit with messaging at each stage of their trip planning journey, from awareness to booking their vacation.

At the same time, prospective visitors will be enticed to click on a winter landing page, order a Colorado vacation guide and check out winter “Colo-Road Trips” itineraries.

MMGY is shaping CTO’s strategy and media plan based on a combination of CTO first-party data, purchased information and insights into thousands of Colorado travelers captured by subsidiary DK Shifflet, a tourism research company.