How Madera County
Used Illustration

Overview

In this exciting campaign, Relic created a fantastical cast of characters for Visit Yosemite Madera County. The client wanted to show unique locations in Madera to set them apart from other Yosemite gateways. Relic’s talented team of creatives illustrated iconic scenes within the destination and created a series of animal characters. These animated animals created an emotional connection with potential visitors, particularly younger audiences.

Analysis

Each of the characters accompanied a scenic location in beautiful Madera County. Relic’s creative team dreamed up the following characters for each area:

Mr. Mead the Saber-tooth Tiger
at Madera County Fossil Discovery Center
Honey the Honeybee at Madera
Sierra the Black Bear at Oakhurst
Blake the Eagle at Bass Lake
Ricky the Racoon at Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
Galen the Great Horned Owl
at Mariposa Grove
Sandy the Squirrel at Yosemite Tunnel View
Art E. Fox at Gallery Row

Relic’s creative team designed all the assets and services for this campaign. They researched, illustrated, animated, designed, voice acted and wrote all content. Part of the creative team’s research included looking at the destination’s competitors. Many of the competitors’ marketing strategies were difficult to differentiate from one another. Relic wanted to create a unique personality for Madera County that would stand out from other entrances to Yosemite. The team researched Disney and other animation companies to see how they built relationships with viewers. They found through interacting with characters at home, children gained the desire to meet them in a physical location. Using this research, Relic used animation and illustration to stand out in a saturated market.

Analysis (Continued)

It was important to Relic and Visit Yosemite Madera County that the target audience had a relationship with the animated world. Relic’s creative team developed an animated video, children’s storybook and collectible trading cards. These assets allowed children to engage and play with the characters and locations before visiting. The digital and traditional media teams also invited visitors to Madera County with strong messaging. The sole purpose of each character and scene was to make an emotional connection with the audience. Relic knew that as the connection to characters grew, so would the desire to visit Madera County.

Relic executed a successful campaign that builds relationships and connections to this day. Relic’s creative team continues to create new characters, scenes and content for the destination. Visit Madera County’s characters have become a wonderful and unique identifier in the area. Through creativity and animation, the destination’s brand stands out from competitors.