Snap Your Way In
Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Issue 43 | June 2017
Agency
VML Kansas
Creative Team
Global Chief Creative Officer: Debbi Vandeven North American Chief Creative Officer: John Godsey Group Creative Director: Allison Pierce Creative Director: Ryan Simonet Senior Art Director: Josh Eithun Senior Copywriter: Justin Lake Art Director: Mars Denton Associate Channel Director: Megan Davey Senior Channel Manager: Kelly Ficsher Senior Social Strategist: Alyssa Murfey Senior Producer: Ethan Downing Associate Producer: Kelli Shannon Director Client Engagement: Jason Cooper Director Client Engagement: Sarah Duggan Group Director Client Engagement: Shali Wade Insights Supervisor: Nikki Hardin Junior Copywriter: Sam Hazelfeldt Lead Web Developer: Ryan Schooley Consulting Manager: Todd Greathouse
Production Team
Flytevu Partner: Jeremy Holley Partner: Laura Hutfless Public Relations: Natalie Logan Account Manager: Whitney Byerly Account Manager: Paige Reese Creative: Ryan Milby Plan A Films Director: Chusy Jardine Producer/Editor: Andy O’Neil
Other Credits
Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Assistant Commissioner: Brian Wagner Commissioner: Kevin Triplett Director of Public Relations: Cindy Dupree
Date
September 2016
Background
Despite several years of record-breaking tourism numbers, the state of Tennessee was seeing the number of millennial visitors decreasing. Since millennials spend hours a day on Snapchat, the idea was to launch their own channel to engage with them. But it's the hardest platform to build a following on.
Idea
Garth Brooks was about to earn his 7th diamond, making him the biggest selling U.S. solo artist of all time (even bigger than The Beatles). Since all of his music was made in Tennessee, the idea was to bring him back to Nashville to celebrate with a free concert and make Tennessee’s new Snapchat channel the only way in.
Results
The campaign immediately made international news, leading to 31,000+ Snapchat followers overnight.
- The show “sold out” in less than 3 minutes.
- 6,000,000+ snap views in less than 3 weeks.
- People came from 43 states and 5 countries to attend the event.
- Every seat was filled and thousands more listened from outside the venue.
- Generated nearly 1 billion media impressions.