Keystone Resort

Projects

TV/Videos
Social Media
Out of Home
Billboards
Vehicle Wraps
Signage
Photography

THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Keystone had long been known as Colorado’s go-to family ski resort, but their band position was stagnant and sales were suffering. Worse, they were ignoring their growing target of adults without kids. They asked us to help redefine their purpose and positioning in a way that appealed to both target audiences and that their employees could easily get behind.

We dug in and did the hard research—we hit the slopes. In addition to making turns, we talked to everyone from guests to hotel concierges. Gondola intercepts and resort research uncovered some core insights that lead to some truly memorable creative that was spot on strategically; inviting even those without kids to embrace the kid inside.

The results were immediate. Keystone grew visits more than any resort in the entire Vail Resorts portfolio. Guest satisfaction scores across all target types rose dramatically, and so did social media mentions. They were also rated the #1 Ski resort for families by USA Today, OnTheSnow.com and Forbes Magazine!

FROM RESEARCH TO A NEW BRAND POSITION

First, we hit the slopes to see what everyone from guests to hotel concierges had to say. Gondola intercepts and resort research uncovered some core insights and lead to the formation of Keystone’s Magic Cycle: Experiences shared become stories > stories repeated become memories > memories repeated become traditions. This allowed us to unlock the new Keystone brand position; The Mountain of Youth.

PLAYGROUND RULES RULE

The playground rules campaign introduced the new Mountain of Youth brand positioning one rule at a time through TV, preroll, print, outdoor, social media, and web. Each execution illustrated how much fun playing at Keystone can be by showing potential and known guests the ropes and all the ways they can play. At first glance these rules look like traditionally accepted rules of behavior, but instead each of the rules had a unique Keystone wink that gave guests permission to let their kid flags fly.