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Event Marketing Campaign for Ocala Art Fundraiser

I was asked by Greg and Jesse from the Magnolia Art Xchange to create a marketing campaign for the Wild Waters Fundraising Event.

Why?

To raise money for the MAX, an art incubator and home to 6 artist studios.

What?

A fundraising event where attendees get to dash past colorful water guns and try not to get their white t shirt colorfully stains.

The Vibe?

Casual, family fun, water but not swimming, fun but not chaotic

Who?

Ocala art community, families, art donors and supporters

My Strategy

I was tasked with making a poster, but I dig deeper to craft a strategy for this project. I sat down with Greg and Jesse, and I determined that the target audience for this project was millennials. Why?

Most of the members of the local Ocala art scene were quirky Millennials, including Greg, Jesse, and myself!
Millennials seek and spend money on experiences over products and will make reactive purchases to avoid missing out on them, according to study by Eventbrite.
Millennials are the most nostalgic over the 90’s and are of age to have children to bring to this family friendly event, according to study by GWI.
Millennials were children when the old Wet n Wild park was at it’s peak, and public sentiment over this defunct park holds it in high regard! Millennials and their parents still hold nostalgia and positive memories toward it!

Source: You Shouldn’t Host Millennial Events, Eventbrite, eventbrite.com/blog/you-shouldnt-host-millennial-events-ds00.

How are Gen Z and millennials driving nostalgia?, GWI, blog.gwi.com/trends/nostalgia-trend/.

So, what does that mean?

Millennials with kids were the most likely to bring their children to this event to prevent FOMO and fulfill their desire for a fun experience to make memories. I’d use a 90’s family fun inspired aesthetic to activate the nostaglia that local Ocala Millennials had from trips to their local Wild Waters water park during the summers of the 1990’s.

My visual brand approach

Inspired by original Wild Waters water park in Ocala.
Not TOO close to the original Wet n Wild brand.
Summer and water themed family fun event.
90’s inspired, colorful to activate nostalgia from Millennials with kids.
Funky and quirky, reflecting MAX personality and vibe of the local Ocala art scene.

The social approach

Millennials experience FOMO, and who use socials to learn about what events are happening online. So, I created social templates for the MAX to use to promote and keep the event top of mind for local Millennial parents (and activate that FOMO!).

Goals

Promote the MAX brand (quirky, weird, artsy)
Attract families to the MAX for a summer family event
Attract donors and art enthusiasts to donate to the MAX
Raise awareness of the MAX existence and location in Ocala
Show off the weird, wacky, humorous vibe of the MAX

The Poster

This event is a water-soaked run through Tuscawilla Park, NOT a swimming event. I made splash illustrations but did not draw the character swimming so people would not mistake this for a swimming or pool event.

Bright colors cover the character who’s sprinting across the poster so attendees can see what they’re gonna be doing at the event.

The result?

A fun successful fundraising event! This is the inaugural event, so the organizers learned a lot.

My branding and marketing materials helped to anchor and establish the vibe for this new fundraiser. We can’t wait for next year!

80+ attendees

Estimated $1600-$2,000 raised for this art incubator, supporting and empowering local artists

$500+ saved by creating reusable logos and illustration used on merch and stickers

From the client

“I enthusiastically recommend Gabi Zuniga for any graphic design project! Gabi's exceptional talent and dedication were instrumental in elevating our Wild Waters Splash and Dash event. From the outset, Gabi was incredibly attentive, taking the time to fully understand our needs and preferences. She went above and beyond, delivering a variety of templates that perfectly suited our marketing requirements. Her captivating illustrations not only captured attention but perfectly reflected the theme of our event, contributing significantly to the event's success. If you're seeking a skilled and creative graphic designer who truly listens and delivers outstanding results, look no further than Gabi Zuniga! We have already contracted her to work on our next big marketing project and consider ourselves lucky to have her talent in hour as a resident artist at Magnolia Art Xchange.”

-Greg Wesolowski
Vice President of the Board, Magnolia Art Xchange