A social-first series that turned detours into
must-dos
The Brief
Utah’s towering arches, red rock canyons, and powdery slopes have long defined its image, but that’s only part of what makes the state worth visiting. To inspire longer stays and deeper exploration, we partnered with the Utah Office of Tourism to launch Only in Utah, a social-first video series that revealed a more peculiar side of the state. We leaned into the whimsical and embraced character-driven storytelling, inviting locals and returning visitors to experience a version of Utah that’s a little weirder and well worth the detour.
The Insight
To extend visitor stays, we had to expand the story by sparking curiosity and showing that Utah still has surprises worth uncovering.
The Solution
Travelers weren’t going to explore more of Utah just because we told them to; they had to want to. So we led with curiosity, character, and a little bit of chaos.
Instead of a traditional narrator or influencer, we introduced Ivy, a dry-humored park “ranger,” and Al, her silent-but-weirdly-wise potted aloe plant sidekick. Together, they brought the state’s oddities to life, from dirty soda rituals to dog motels to pink sand dunes. Local experts added context and credibility along the way.
The Results
Turns out, people don’t just like the peculiar—they stick around for it. In the first three months of the campaign, Only in Utah organically generated over 83K impressions and reached 80K users, with an average reach per post nearly 4% higher than our 2024 Instagram benchmark. From September 2024 through June 2025, paid efforts brought in over 1.9 million impressions and 455K full video views, all at just $0.02 per thruplay. It showed viewers weren’t just watching—they were invested. Aloe may not talk, but the numbers said plenty.
Utah's best kept-secret? the wonderfully peculiar.
