Organizers are targeting the lucrative “dark tourism” market by directing visitors to otherwise unknown, speck-on-the-map towns like Cadiz—home of Civil War-era statues described as a “strange procession that never moves”—and Marshall, where the legend of the murderous “Dogman” originated on the incongruously named Happy Hollow Road.
“When you add the folklore and entertainment element, we think people will gravitate to these out-of-the-way places,” David Coomer, the agency’s CEO, told Adweek. “It makes these rural areas more accessible, and the economic impact could be life-changing” in a similar way to Northern Ireland’s boost from Game of Thrones-themed tours.
The initiative, the first to connect the geographically diverse dots of Kentucky’s supernatural lineage, includes regions and towns that may have never mounted a destination ad campaign before.
Screamtastic
To spread the word, Coomer created a 15-second spot that begins with typical Kentucky scenes like Thoroughbreds grazing in fields and sun bouncing off lakes.
The team intentionally chose carefully curated stock footage, which then bleeds into some ghastly, tech-driven images of ghosts, goblins and other spine-chilling creatures for the “after dark” shots.
The agency worked with artists whose CVs include Nike and League of Legends for a spot that features a mix of 3D models for architectural accuracy, 4D, AI and Adobe After Effects.
Through a deal with National CineMedia, the spot will air before big-screen thrillers like The Nun 2, Saw X and The Exorcist: Believer in Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois and West Virginia. Those multiplexes will also display posters for the travel program.