Arizona tests a playful new marketing approach in targeted ad campaign

Arizona wants to share its ‘southwestern philosophy’ with travelers, specifically those living in Chicago, Denver, and Minneapolis, where it hopes to attract city-dwellers looking for some sun.

The Arizona Office of Tourism launched a targeted marketing campaign earlier this month targeting those three cold-weather cities.

The Arizodiac campaign prompts potential visitors to visit Arizodiac.com where travelers choose an animal sign that represents their traveling persona. With the exception of the interactive zodiac guide, the entire site links back to Arizona’s primary tourism website Arizonaguide.com.

“This is a different type of campaign than we usually do,” says Kiva Couchon, Director of Communications at the Arizona Office of Tourism, “It’s a little more playful and showcases the activities that people can do in Arizona… outdoor activities, sports, shopping.”

The two-month campaign runs alongside the national campaign, which launched back in February.

We reviewed the campaign’s video ad in this week’s SkiftAds collection and two print ads of the campaign, in addition to the top photo, can be seen below. What do you think of the campaign?