Client: Conner Prairie

Based in Fishers, Indiana, Conner Prairie is a “unique historic place that inspires curiosity and fosters learning by providing engaging and individualized experiences for everyone.” The organization needed a new partner to let the world know they are available to keep the past present. We at Ricochet were ready to help with not only traditional print and outdoor ads, but a full compliment of digital and social media strategies that ultimately boosted their year-over-year attendance records to nearly double their previous traffic numbers for specific events in just the first year of our relationship. Click each image for a closer look, click outside the image to return.

General Attendance Ads

According to informal local market surveys, there was a growing perception that Conner Prairie Historic Museum was best suited for elementary school field trips and Moms looking for a place to distract their pre-school aged (and younger) children. Conner Prairie engaged Ricochet Partners to help spread the word that Conner Prairies had much more to offer modern audiences- a historic context for our current lifestyles— a narrative of how we arrived at today through the experiences of the past.

There were three other concepts tested: one with two pioneer ladies holding up a needlepoint rendition of a “Like us on Facebook” message, and another that urged viewers to decipher a text from a Lakota Tribesman from the 1860s (rendered via smoke signals).

 

The result for the general admission ad campaign was a year-over-year increase in attendance of over 128%

 

My role: Ideation, visual concept development, layout, image editing.

President’s Day Ad

With tongue firmly in cheek, the Conner Prairie President’s Day celebration was kicked off with the insinuated announcement that “all the cool kids” (including George Washington) would be attending the party thrown by Conner Prairie to honor them. The campaign included social media and local television advertising that followed the exact same visual approach, only adding a stirring rendition of “Hail to the Chief” leading up to the punchline of a black screen and receding echo of footprints, followed by the empty seat reveal of the Lincoln Monument. Click the ad image to view the video spot.

I don’t have direct success metrics on the promotion, but have heard that the campaign at least elicited a chuckle from our client staff!

My role: Visual concept development, image editing, video and audio creative direction.

Headless Horseman Promo Campaign

Inspired by the Washington Irving story of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Conner Prairie’s annual Headless Horseman Festival has become an institutional event for the region that includes a broad array of historic and modern activities, culminating in the signature hayride plagued by the title star.

We felt strongly that an awareness campaign that focused on reminding the local communities that the festival was imminent (while just hinting at additional activities) would encourage prospective attendees to make time in their busy schedules to enjoy the event rather than a comprehensive list of available activities that may, or may not be of interest to all.
 

Even though the event has been a Conner Prairie mainstay for years, because of the enhanced promotional effort attendance at the 2019 rendition nearly doubled the numbers from previous years.

 

My role: Ideation, visual concept development, illustration, layout, production supervision.