TimeZoneOne (TZO), an independent creative communications agency headquartered in Chicago, is proud to announce that it has officially been named as the creative agency of record for Navy Pier, an iconic Chicago institution and one of the most popular destinations in the Midwest.
“To say that TimeZoneOne understands the Chicago market is an understatement. Our team has embedded itself into fully understanding and connecting with the city’s rich history and culture to better serve our local clients,” says Daniel Thomas, TimeZoneOne President and CEO. “Earning Navy Pier’s business reinforces that TimeZoneOne has solidified itself as the tourism industry agency of Chicago. We look forward to fostering a long-standing relationship with Navy Pier, while re-introducing Chicagoans and helping bring new faces to one of the most energetic and progressive landmarks in the US.”
TZO’s first project as AOR for the nonprofit organization was to develop a new brand campaign that focuses on changing locals’ perception about the Pier. The campaign, titled “More Than You Imagine,” invites Chicagoans to take a second look at the pier and all of its available offerings. The campaign was born from the notion that many locals are not aware of how much the Pier has changed and currently don’t view it as a place where they can experience “where fun lives large.” The agency’s work is aligned with the brand’s goal of bringing the “People’s Pier” vision of the destination to life and drive annual increase in visitation.
Media channels for the campaign include Out of Home (OOH), OLV, radio, digital, social media, print and more. Additional creative work will be rolled-out by TimeZoneOne over the next several months. To see a sample of creative work from the campaign, download here.
“Working with an agency partner that understand the intricacies of the Chicago tourism and destination market is essential to align with Navy Pier’s mission of driving exploration and inspiration for its nearly 9 million annual guests,” said Marilynn Gardner, Navy Pier President and CEO. “Navy Pier looks forward to working hand-in-hand with TimeZoneOne to achieve our creative goals and increase awareness of one of the city’s most treasured destinations.”
In addition to consumer-facing media, the campaign has been extended to B2B (business-to-business) media as a way to support the Pier’s East End events business. The work for this initiative has been in-market since May 2019 and will continue to roll out in trade publications for the next several months.