Objectives
Despite worldwide name recognition that made it an international destination of choice for more than 300,000 tourists annually, local awareness of Kansas City’s 18th & Vine district proved limited. Many had heard of the district’s American Jazz Museum, Negro League Baseball Museum, Gem Theatre and Peach Tree restaurant, but few had visited the venues. HotMetal Creative was challenged to create a campaign that would boost awareness and increase local traffic to the historic entertainment district.
Strategies
Our team developed an integrated approach in featuring the restaurants, retail offerings and cultural assets of the district, with marketing communication that targeted families, business and community leaders, urbanites and suburbanites. The daily lunch crowd at the Peach Tree restaurant — a who’s who of Kansas City politicians, executives, community leaders, musicians and even the occasional movie star — was leveraged for networking opportunities.
And with “Take Time for the Vine,” we identified a core theme for the district’s Kansas City advertising campaign. “Take Time for the Vine” resonated with all audiences and could be used both to invite people to visit the district and to visit particular businesses within it.
Results
Using our knowledge of the urban core, multicultural communities and the tourism industry helped it build a strong successful campaign, increasing awareness and traffic for the 18th & Vine district. The agency was awarded a National Silver Microphone Award in the Tourism and Resorts Category for its “Take Time for the Vine” advertising campaign.