Who Needs Minecraft? Kentucky Tourism Creates Original Video Game For Kids

It’s no secret that kids love video games, and parents know it can be pretty hard to pry their eyes from the screen. One tourism brand has taken the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” motto to heart with a first-of-its-kind program that gamifies the experience of IRL travel.

Kentucky Tourism has launched Great Big Kentucky Adventure, a video game specifically designed to keep kids engaged during a vacation in the Bluegrass State. By turning 12 of Kentucky’s high-profile, larger-than-life landmarks into a side-scrolling game, the campaign aims to reimagine family road trips for the modern age.

The game, from longtime agency partner Coomer, features attractions like the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat, the Wheat Stalks sculpture in Hopkinsville and the Forest Giants in Shepherdsville. The focus is on kid-friendly attractions that can spur day trips that won’t bust parents’ budgets.

Step into the adventure

Styled like a classic 1990s Super Nintendo game, Great Big Kentucky Adventure revolves around a 9-year-old Kentucky-based influencer named Zaza (@redcarpetgirlz). Zaza’s channel is set to highlight her experiences traveling through Kentucky with her family.

A vertically aligned video asking parents “What if gameplay is a good thing?” accompanies the campaign. Tapping into Zaza’s enthusiasm for gaming, the short shows her stepping into a real world re-envisioned with classically pixelated challenges and rewards.

“We’re inviting families to experience the joy of exploring Kentucky’s iconic oversized attractions and immerse themselves in unforgettable adventures,” Amy Rogers, executive director of Visit Hopkinsville, said in a statement. “This campaign underscores our commitment to showcasing Kentucky’s diverse and accessible offerings and providing families with unique travel experiences they’ll treasure.”

Inspiration for the project came from not only consumer insights but also creatives’ own lives, according to David Coomer, the agency’s CEO. He and his wife, Ana Maldonado-Coomer, the agency’s creative director, took their young sons to Italy last year and “hoped they’d get excited about visiting Milan, or seeing the statue of David in Florence, or walking across the Rialto Bridge in Venice,” he said.

“But they were mostly annoyed that they couldn’t play Mario Kart or watch Pokemon,” Coomer told ADWEEK. “Who knows why they’d rather visit Pikachu given the chance, versus savoring the history lessons in art and architecture of the Italian Renaissance.”

The trip helped spawn the fight-fire-with-fire concept. Great Big Kentucky Adventure’ will be promoted throughout the spring and summer travel season. Taking note from the popularity of online gamers on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, mobile-first video and influencer partnerships are still to come.