The challenge
Charlottetown competes with hundreds of charming coastal towns across North America. Most travellers who would love it have never heard of it.
The destination marketing organization had a tight budget, a short shoulder season window, and an old creative library that read 'maritime postcard' rather than 'modern food and culture city.' They needed a campaign that punched above its weight in markets where awareness was effectively zero.
The approach
We rebuilt the visual library from the ground up — five days of production across the city, twenty hours of broll, six commissioned vignettes featuring restaurant owners, ceramicists, fishermen, and musicians.
Paid strategy targeted high-intent leisure travellers in Boston, NYC, Toronto, and Montreal with creative that led with people, not landscapes. We built a dedicated landing experience that funneled visitors from inspiration to flights-and-stays in three taps.
Earned coverage followed (CN Traveler, Globe & Mail, Eater) once the work hit a critical creative density.
The outcome
Year-over-year, revenue from first-time visitors grew 212%. Direct flight bookings to YYG were up 38% — a number Air Canada flagged in their Atlantic Q3 report.
The campaign won a Tourism Industry Association of PEI award and, more importantly, has been renewed and expanded for a multi-year run. The visual library is now licensed across the entire PEI tourism portfolio.