Situation

What started with the Frogtown Art Colony in Door County, Wisconsin in 1922 has blossomed into a vibrant and world-renowned arts community. Recognizing the strong roots the arts have in Door County and the unique opportunity that provides, we collaborated with Destination Door County to create “Art in the Door” with the goal of elevating these local artists. The program invited Door County artists to a juried art competition and asked them to submit original 2D artwork based on the selected feelings that Door County inspires, coinciding with the “Feelings” campaign. This would promote the destination in several ways:

• The artwork to inspire visitors to explore Door County
• Entries to the contest for lead generation
• Brand awareness through social shares (much like a micro-influencer) 

Approach

We used several tactics to promote the call for artwork. We created an animated explainer video used in social media advertising and email marketing to find artists and created a landing page as a call for artists to submit their works of art. The page detailed our hunt for eight finalists who would be selected by an expert jury, with their works displayed on Destination Door County’s social media channels and website to be voted on by the general public. The prize for four winning artists was $2,000, plus the work would be featured in Door County marketing throughout the year.

From March 8 to April 23, 2023, we received 99 fine art entries, from which the eight finalists were selected by our expert jury.

These finalists each received a prize for making it to the judging phase, including a highlight and recognition on the Destination Door County website, and care package of Destination Door County goodies.

On May 15, 2023, we notified the eight finalists and created a landing page for public voting. Destination Door County announced the voting on their social media, driving traffic to the landing page to select four winning artists.

We received 5,288 votes in just two and a half weeks. Not only were these votes valuable to the artists, they were a win for Destination Door County. That’s 5,288 leads generated for Destination Door County, expanding its email marketing list and exposing more possible travelers to reasons to visit the peninsula and its islands, while also building pride of place for locals who had yet to connect with the DMO.

promoting the artists

We collaborated with a local videography company to create a video series featuring each winning artist. These videos provide an intimate glimpse into the artists’ personal journeys, their profound connection to Door County, and the significance of their artworks.

The video series is being deployed across digital platforms to unveil the rich, multifaceted art scene thriving in Door County. Episodic in nature and with a multi-year approach, these stories serve as a vibrant tapestry, enriching the appeal of Door County as a destination for travelers. Additionally, they reaffirm the deep-rooted affection that local residents hold for their cherished hometown.

Results

The winning artworks are not only celebrated for their artistic excellence, but also integrated into our advertising campaigns that promote tourism
to the picturesque Door County, showcasing the powerful synergy of art and destination.

The talented artists are included within our banner ads, actively championing the arts in the community and igniting a heightened curiosity for the unique experiences Door County has to offer.