Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?
The primary goal of the Visit Baltimore x MindGrub collaboration at VidCon was to engage VidCon’s youthful and tech-savvy audience through a creative, interactive experience that showcased Baltimore’s unique culture and local attractions. This initiative sought to:
Leverage gamification to create a memorable brand experience that would raise awareness of Baltimore as a vibrant destination for leisure and events.
Promote iconic Baltimore symbols, such as the crab, lemon stick, and snowball, through a custom 8-bit video game, encouraging attendees to interact with the city's brand in a playful, engaging manner.
Drive traffic to the Visit Baltimore booth, where attendees could claim prizes and learn more about Baltimore’s restaurants, retail, and cultural attractions.
Increase social media engagement by encouraging players to share their high scores using the #VisitBmore hashtag, boosting visibility and engagement with the Visit Baltimore brand across platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
This unique activation aimed to bridge the digital and physical worlds by combining the gaming experience with tangible rewards—custom cookies from Nina’s Cookie Explosion—to further enhance attendees' connection with Baltimore.
Results: Which of your original goals did you achieve and how? How did you measure the effectiveness of the piece or campaign? Entrants should provide quantifiable results of their tactics or campaigns. (for example, click through rates or ad equivalency)
The VidCon campaign successfully achieved its goals, with strong engagement from the event’s audience:
The Visit Baltimore video game garnered significant attention, with thousands of plays over the four-day event as attendees waited in lines and sought entertainment during breaks. The experience was further amplified by 864 QR code scans (800 unique), showcasing strong participant engagement. This immersive activity not only kept attendees entertained but also effectively introduced them to Baltimore’s iconic imagery and culture.
The booth attracted high foot traffic, with hundreds of high scorers visiting to claim their prizes—custom Baltimore-themed cookies. This engagement also sparked deeper conversations about Baltimore as a travel destination. Additionally, the game page on baltimore.org ranked #2 that weekend with 2,551 views (1,366 users), contributing to heightened visibility.
The game’s success was further validated by industry recognition, earning two Web Excellence Awards in the website category for both Gamification and Tourism, as well as a Silver Addy in the “Apps, Games, Virtual Reality - 023C Games” category, solidifying its impact and innovation in the tourism sector.
The custom cookies, developed in collaboration with Nina’s Cookie Explosion, became a hit, with the unique Baltimore flavors adding a tactile and memorable component to the gamified experience. This collaboration highlighted the city’s creative partnerships and enhanced the overall experience.
Through this interactive approach, Visit Baltimore successfully engaged VidCon’s audience, positioning Baltimore as a fun, youthful, and culturally rich city.
Return on Investment: How much revenue has the piece or campaign generated and how does this compare to your goal? What was the return on investment?
The innovative use of a video game to market Baltimore at VidCon produced a substantial return on investment, primarily through brand exposure and engagement rather than direct revenue. The activation led to:
A significant increase in foot traffic to the Visit Baltimore website, with the game page on baltimore.org ranking #2 that weekend with 2,551 views (1,366 users).
The foot traffic to the Visit Baltimore booth generated conversations with hundreds of attendees, further positioning Baltimore as a desirable location for future leisure visits and large-scale events.
Attention and accolades from local industry organizations including the Web Excellence Awards and the Baltimore ADDY’s, further cementing Baltimore as an industry leader in activations at trade shows and events.
While revenue generation was not the direct goal of the campaign, the exposure and engagement resulted in a projected increase in future tourism interest, setting the stage for long-term gains in visitation and event bookings.
In terms of cost efficiency, the gamified experience—coupled with physical rewards—provided a high-impact, low-cost way to reach VidCon’s audience. The campaign successfully positioned Baltimore as a unique, tech-forward destination, aligning perfectly with Visit Baltimore’s strategic goals for youth engagement and city promotion.
Entry Title
Visit Baltimore x MindGrub collaboration at VidCon
Division
Digital - Metaverse/Gaming/NFT