Through a series of successful experiential marketing campaigns, brands have demonstrated the power of stepping beyond conventional advertising to connect with audiences on a deeper, more meaningful level.
For tour operators and attractions looking to level up their marketing strategies, embracing the principles of experiential marketing can open new avenues for customer engagement, ensuring that your brand stands out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Here, we’ll explore a variety of successful experiential marketing examples that do just that. From KitKat’s “Free No WiFi Zone” in Amsterdam, which encouraged people to take a real break from their screens to unique collaborations between world-renowned museums and gaming platforms, each example highlights how brands creatively engage their audiences.
Ready to be inspired? Let’s jump in.
1. Etihad Airways’ Single-Use Plastic-Free Flight
Etihad Airways made aviation history when it launched its first single-use-plastic-free flight to celebrate Earth Day in 2019. This campaign was part of Etihad’s broader goal to reduce single-use plastics by 80% across its operations. The flight replaced over 95 plastic items with eco-friendly alternatives and, in turn, generated significant media coverage.
The campaign set a powerful precedent in the aviation industry, demonstrating a genuine commitment to environmental sustainability. It effectively used a special event, Earth Day, to maximize its impact and engage a wide audience through strategic media and influencer partnerships.
Lessons for Attractions: Tour and attraction operators can learn from Etihad’s approach by launching campaigns around significant events to enhance visibility and engagement.
2. 13,000 Reasons to Visit Northern Norway
Visit Norway launched the “13,000 Reasons to Visit Northern Norway” campaign to encourage domestic tourism by compiling positive testimonials from foreign visitors. The campaign collected 13,000 comments from social media, highlighting the natural beauty and unique experiences of Northern Norway. A local comedian read These comments aloud, creating an engaging and entertaining promotion that captured nationwide attention.
The campaign is an excellent example of leveraging user-generated content (UGC) and creative storytelling to promote tourism. Using real visitor experiences, Visit Norway provided an authentic narrative resonating with its target audience: local tourists. The campaign’s innovative approach and focus on lesser-known regions made it a standout example of effective tourism marketing.
Lessons for Attractions: Operators can draw valuable insights from this campaign about leveraging customer reviews and social media content in their marketing efforts. To take it a step further, engaging local personalities or influencers to present these stories in a creative way can enhance audience engagement.
3. Museums x Nintendo
The coronavirus pandemic forced museums to find new ways to engage their audiences. As a result, some of the world’s most prestigious art institutions — including The Met, the Getty Museum, and the Cincinnati Art Museum — turned to the popular Nintendo game Animal Crossing: New Horizons to make their collections accessible differently.
The idea? Infuse famous artwork from museums into the virtual game, reaching an audience that spends more time online than usual. In this game, the characters move to a deserted island and build a community. The campaign allowed players to add famous artworks to their homes.
Similarly, the Louvre collaborated with the 3D dress-up game Time Princess: Story Traveller in May 2022, allowing players to interact with historical women and explore museum treasures in a virtual world.
Lessons for Attractions: This example highlights how cross-industry partnerships can create innovative experiences that appeal to new audiences. By partnering with a popular gaming platform, these museums reached a demographic that might only sometimes visit art galleries. Additionally, leveraging popular platforms that already have a loyal following can provide a significant boost to your attraction’s visibility.
4. Globetrotter’s “Bad Weather” Fitting Room
Globetrotter, a European sports equipment company, created an unforgettable in-store experience: The brand created “bad weather chambers” where customers could test their products in real-time. Each fitting room allowed shoppers to experience extreme weather conditions like heavy rain, hurricane-force winds, and freezing temperatures.
By letting customers physically test their products in extreme conditions, Globetrotter demonstrated its confidence in the gear it sells while providing a unique experience that customers would talk about long after the visit. The concept goes beyond traditional retail and shows the power of experiential marketing in creating a deep connection with consumers.
Lessons for Attractions: Globetrotter’s approach involves a hands-on, immersive experience that allows travelers to “test” its product before purchasing it. From an attraction’s perspective, this might look like giving your guests a sneak peek of a new experience before they fully commit. Think of a virtual reality preview of a skydiving flight.
5. Kit-Kat’s “Free No WiFi Zone”
In an age where connectivity means convenience, Kit-Kat flipped the script with their “Free No WiFi Zone” campaign in Amsterdam. The brand installed benches in outdoor spaces that actively blocked WiFi signals. The idea was to create places for people to disconnect from the digital noise and simply take a break, whether that meant having a conversation, reading a book, or enjoying a moment of peace. The campaign cleverly tied back to Kit-Kat’s long-standing slogan: “Have a break…have a KitKat.”
Kit-Kat’s unconventional approach resonated with modern consumers—not only did the brand stand out in the crowded digital landscape, but it also reinforced its brand identity in a memorable and relatable way.
Lessons for Attractions: Operators can take a page from Kit-Kat’s book by offering experiences that allow travelers to disconnect and immerse themselves fully in their surroundings. Whether it’s a guided tour with no digital distractions or a designated “tech-free” day on a longer itinerary, providing opportunities for genuine, offline experiences can set a destination apart. Plus, the campaign’s success underscores the impact of going against the grain. Challenging conventional expectations can lead to highly effective and memorable brand activations.
6. The Swedish Number
Source: CBC
“The Swedish Number” is one of the most memorable and unique experiential marketing campaigns in the tourism space. The campaign invited people to call a unique phone number and speak with a randomly selected Swedish citizen, offering direct, unfiltered conversations about Sweden with real locals. The campaign was a huge hit, receiving over 170,000 calls from 186 countries and generating significant media attention.
By turning every Swedish citizen into a potential ambassador, Sweden’s tourism board successfully highlighted the country’s values of openness and freedom of expression. The campaign also demonstrates the power of direct, human connection in marketing.
Lessons for Attractions: Encouraging real conversations between potential visitors and locals can create deeper connections and a more compelling reason to visit. Additionally, the campaign shows how turning customers into brand ambassadors can amplify a marketing message without significant advertising spend. This approach is particularly effective in promoting lesser-known destinations or unique cultural aspects of a region.
7. Netflix’s TV Show Set Replicas
To celebrate the revival of the beloved TV show “Gilmore Girls,” Netflix transformed over 200 coffee shops into replicas of the iconic “Luke’s Diner” from the show. Fans of the series were invited to step into the pop-up diners to enjoy a free cup of coffee and immerse themselves in the nostalgic ambiance of the show.
Netflix leveraged its fans’ deep affection for “Gilmore Girls” to generate buzz and excitement around the series revival. By recreating a familiar and beloved setting, Netflix offered fans a chance to physically step into the world of the show, resulting in widespread social media shares and renewed interest in the series.
Lessons for Attractions: Operators can draw inspiration from Netflix’s approach by tapping into the emotional connections that potential customers already have with your brand or destination. Such experiences can be powerful tools for generating social media buzz, as people love to share and document their nostalgic encounters.
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As we’ve seen in the examples explored, whether offering a quiet moment in a WiFi-free zone or transforming a shopping experience into an adventure, these campaigns prove that experiential marketing can leave a lasting impression when done right. The success stories shared here offer valuable insights and inspiration when you’re ready to take your marketing efforts to the next level.
