Out of Office: A Multi-Channel Advertising Campaign Driving High-Impact Tourism Engagement in Durham Region
Durham Region is increasingly recognized as an ideal day-trip destination from Downtown Toronto, offering unique experiences that balance urban convenience with natural and cultural richness. Research shows that approximately 20% of visitors to Durham’s downtowns already come from the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), with growing numbers of Gen Z and millennial travelers using GO Transit for leisure. Targeting this 25–34-year-old urban professional demographic became a strategic objective for Durham Tourism—both to drive immediate tourism-related economic impact and to support long-term talent attraction goals for the region.
The Summer 2024 “Out of Office” (OOO) campaign was developed to engage this audience through a fun, relatable, and highly tailored narrative. Using playful corporate language, the campaign invited busy office workers to “book a meeting” with Durham Tourism—a creative twist that framed a daytrip as a professional calendar event worth prioritizing. This clever positioning helped Durham Region stand out in a crowded travel market while reinforcing the idea of escape, relaxation, and renewal.
What made the campaign especially effective was its integrated, multi-platform approach. The landing page featured an interactive meeting booking tool that sent users a digital calendar hold with a personalized itinerary. These itineraries included curated activities, dining, and accommodation suggestions for top Durham destinations like Parkwood Estate National Historic Site, Thermëa Spa Village, and the Waterfront Trail. The action of booking also prompted users to subscribe to Durham Tourism’s e-newsletter—an increasingly important channel in a shifting social media landscape.
Media tactics included high-traffic highway billboards, a full-page magazine ad, Spotify audio placements, targeted paid social campaigns on Meta and LinkedIn, influencer activations, and both paid and organic enewsletter content. This broad yet precisely targeted approach ensured multiple points of exposure and maintained consistent campaign messaging across all touchpoints.
Campaign Results:
Summer 2024 OOO Campaign:
- 1,418,111 impressions
- 10,024 landing page views
- 8,680 clicks (0.65% CTR)
- 255 itineraries emailed
- 149 new e-newsletter subscribers
Winter 2024–25 OOO Campaign:
- 762,331 impressions
- 3,608 landing page views
- 25,481 clicks (4.38% CTR)
- 1,270 itineraries emailed (a 498% increase over summer)
- 663 new e-newsletter subscribers (a 445% increase over summer)
The winter edition also introduced a high-impact partnership with Thermëa Spa Village and travel influencer @WellnessTravelled, resulting in strong contest engagement and additional reach within the health and wellness niche.
Creativity, Sustainability, and Long-Term Value
OOO’s creative voice—cheeky, relatable, and digitally native—resonated strongly with its audience. The campaign’s digital-first structure minimized waste, and assets like itineraries and digital calendar holds offered long-term utility. Billboard and print placements, while static, reinforced the campaign’s visual identity and anchored awareness beyond the screen.
With over 2.1 million impressions across both campaign phases, 1,525 itineraries delivered, and 812 new e-news subscribers, “Out of Office” demonstrates how thoughtful creative, smart channel integration, and user-focused experiences can drive measurable tourism growth while building lasting brand engagement for Durham Region.
