Maximizing returns on
a return to summer fun
Calypso
Our client’s objective
For Calypso Waterpark near Ottawa, 2020 was a wash. To recover losses from a summer of park closures, Calypso needed to make a big splash with online ticket sales. Amid uncertainty about COVID, our goal was to raise awareness that Calypso was, indeed, open and ready to welcome its patrons back at a safe, limited capacity.
The goal:
- Fill the park to its COVID-friendly capacity limits every day of the 2021 season (early July until Labour Day)
- Give eager would-be park-goers from Quebec and Ontario the assurance to make safe, fun summer plans at Calypso
Services
Media planning, trafficking & reporting, creative, production
Our challenge
COVID’s impacts have been widespread, and this project was no exception. Amid 2020 financial losses, pandemic messaging fatigue, and rapidly evolving restrictions—Calypso needed the 2021 season to turn things around.
To do this, we needed to:
- Acknowledge the COVID reality without belabouring the point
- Cross-identify budget-friendly tactics with historically high-performing channels to maximize the campaign’s bang-for-buck
- Be agile and poised to launch at a moment’s notice to meet demand as government restrictions lifted
Our strategy
After over a year of lockdowns, families and young adults alike were desperate to make up for lost time. We needed to fight the widespread uncertainty with a sense of normalcy and summer fun.
How we did it
Repurposing footage from previous shoots, we created ads to showcase smaller groups having fun at the park.
Calypso’s limited daily capacity allowed us to create a healthy sense of urgency to encourage ticket sales. Online ticket purchasers were given a full breakdown of the park’s COVID policies at checkout.
Finally, we created a media plan focused on Calypso’s historically highest-performing channels for reach and conversions.
More details
Drag and move
We have worked with Acart in the past and we were excited to partner with them again for our 2021 summer season. It was a lot of fun working with their team; we were pleased with the proposal they developed for us, as well as their professional work and availability throughout the campaign. We are very happy with the results of Acart’s work.
Catherine Dumont, Marketing Coordinator at Calypso
