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June 12, 2024

Feast Your Eyes

In the summer of 2023, the Fort Worth Zoo unveiled its highly anticipated Predators of Asia & Africa habitat, a stunning new home for lions, tigers and other apex predators. Partnering with the Zoo, we embarked on a mission to build excitement and drive attendance for this remarkable attraction in advance of the opening and throughout the following year.

Out of Home Fort Worth Zoo Predators Exhibit

Situation

Schaefer recommended a comprehensive campaign to promote the Fort Worth Zoo’s new exhibit, aiming to re-engage guests and boost summer attendance. The lions and tigers, which are visitor favorites, had been off-exhibit during construction, and it was crucial to highlight their return alongside the introduction of new species.

Predators Exhibit from the Fort Worth Zoo with Schaefer Advertising

Our Approach

We began with a collaborative naming exercise, unifying the two distinct sections of the habitat under one name, Predators of Asia & Africa. This cohesive identity set the stage for our creative strategy. From there, our team developed bold visuals that captured the fierce essence of the animals. The campaign featured striking imagery of lions and tigers, with claw-mark graphics to grab attention and convey the powerful nature of the predators. 

Predators Social Media Work by Schaefer Advertising for Fort Worth Zoo

The “Feast Your Eyes” headline led the campaign, playing on both the predatory nature of the animals and newly enhanced visibility of the experience This was complemented by headlines such as “The Pride Has Returned” and “On the Prowl Again,” emphasizing the return of the big cats. Equal focus was given to lions and tigers based on years of visitor data showing their popularity. We highlighted these hero animals to capture attention and strategically showcased additional species to convey the habitat’s diversity and breadth. This approach used the hero animals to attract interest and the variety of animals to convince visitors to explore the new exhibit. 

Predators Exhibit Out of Home for the Fort Worth Zoo

We generated excitement with teaser billboards that featured the claw marks and a “Coming Soon” message, quickly followed by the launch of an omnichannel campaign designed to captivate and engage. The Schaefer team employed a full-funnel media strategy, ensuring broad awareness and driving conversions through a mix of paid search, social media, programmatic display and video ads, email, and SMS texts. This comprehensive approach maximized our reach and engagement.

Results

  • Over one million landing page sessions, indicating high engagement and interest.
  • 28% click-through rate on paid social, showcasing the effectiveness of our targeted ads.
  • 42% year-over-year attendance growth, a testament to the campaign’s success in attracting visitors.
Predators Exhibit at the Fort Worth Zoo Bus Wrap

Our campaign for the Fort Worth Zoo’s Predators of Asia & Africa was a resounding success. By combining strategic creativity with a targeted media approach, we effectively highlighted the return of the Zoo’s beloved big cats and introduced new species, driving significant increases in attendance and revenue, and elevating the Zoo’s profile within the DFW metroplex and beyond. This project not only celebrated the Zoo’s commitment to conservation and education but also reinforced its position as a premier destination for family fun and learning.

The Fort Worth advertising community recently gathered at Backlot Studios to honor one of its most distinguished figures—our very own Ken Schaefer—recipient of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Fort Worth’s Silver Medal Award. This prestigious award not only recognizes outstanding contributions to the advertising industry but more importantly, a commitment to the greater Fort Worth community.

His journey, which started at notable companies like Ogilvy and Procter & Gamble, have taught him that the importance of a people-first approach in everything from brand strategy to company culture. Under his guidance, Schaefer Advertising has flourished, making significant impacts in the Healthcare, Real Estate, and Attractions, Tourism and Arts sectors.

The event was full of camaraderie and storytelling, with colleagues and friends sharing defining moments that illustrate Ken’s career and more importantly his principles, painting the picture of a leader who is not only a master of his craft but also deeply committed to his faith, family, and community. 

In line with Ken’s driving purpose —to make life better—the evening also served a greater purpose; all proceeds from the event were donated to Good Natured, Mayor Parker’s Greenspace Initiative. This move was a fitting tribute to Ken’s dedication to enhancing the community where he lives in and serves.

The Silver Medal Award, established in 1959, is the highest honor the AAF can bestow and recognizes individuals who have not only achieved professional excellence but have actively furthered the industry’s standards and social responsibilities. Ken’s receipt of this award is a testament to his enduring impact on both the advertising world and the broader Fort Worth community.

And we couldn’t be prouder. 

Cheers to you, Ken!

Celebrating a Milestone: The 25th Annual Zoo Run

Zoo Run 2024 marked the event’s 25th anniversary, and it was the perfect moment for a creative campaign to bring the excitement of this beloved event to life. The main goals included driving awareness and filling registration spots, with an underlying objective of surpassing the prior year’s results.

Engaging Audiences with Vibrant Creative and Strategic Media

Schaefer crafted an upbeat and eye-catching campaign with the headline “Zig-Zag Through the Zoo.” The creative design used playful, illustrated animals and neon yellow lines to add a sense of movement and energy. Even more, the creative highlighted the Zoo’s newly returned lions, which were a key feature of the race route. Our media strategy included a full-funnel approach to guide users from learning about the event to signing up. We engaged audiences through a mix of paid search, paid social, email, text messages, streaming video, OOH, and display ads—ensuring we reached them at every stage of their journey.

Record-Breaking Success: A Sell-Out Event and Impressive Growth

  • Zoo Run SOLD OUT for the first time in its 25-year history!
  • Registration quantity was 152% to goal, and revenue reached 141% of the goal.
  • Paid search traffic skyrocketed, driving 5x more clicks than the prior year, with an impressive 44% CTR—a 41% increase.
  • Social media engagement soared with 3.8 million impressions and more than 142K total post engagements.
  • Email strategy helped boost engagement with the highest click-through rates seen in years.

Turning a Tradition into a Historic Achievement

Schaefer’s creative vision and strategic approach helped make Zoo Run 2024 a resounding success, not only meeting but exceeding all expectations. By blending bold, fun visuals with highly targeted media, we helped make the 25th anniversary a celebration to remember—turning this beloved event into a sell-out success and solidifying it as one of Fort Worth’s favorite family traditions.

Giving Kyzatrex® renewed energy and vibrance with a new brand campaign.

Kyzatrex Law Mower Hero

Situation

More than 20 million men deal with problems related to hypogonadism, or low testosterone. Many patients and HCPs have preconceived notions about diagnosis and treatment, and tend to focus solely on sexual health benefits. But low testosterone can also contribute to health problems ranging from mild issues such as fatigue, to severe problems including obesity, type 2 diabetes, CVD and mental illness.

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is an emerging market that still falls to the bottom of the priority list for many HCPs. Despite its prevalence and chronicity, the diagnosis, administration and management of TRT remains a complex journey that, until Kyzatrex®, only came in painful, inconvenient or messy treatment options. Kyzatrex, however, brought an innovative new approach to the market by providing the option of helping patients address this important metabolic issue with a convenient daily oral dose — a difference that HCPs needed to be aware of.

Kyzatrex Heroes

Goals

  • Create a campaign that “cuts through the clutter” of prescriptive testosterone patches, gels, pills and injections
  • Develop brand messaging that resonates with both consumers and healthcare providers
  • Boost brand awareness rapidly
  • Establish metrics for gauging the success of the campaign

Strategy

Because HCPs and patients alike primarily equate testosterone primarily with sexual health, Kyzatrex needed to change the conversation. Research provided insights and understanding of the target’s mindset that led to a revelation: Kyzatrex delivers the total package — convenience and a therapeutic option for a critical metabolic health issue. More importantly, Kyzatrex helps HCPs and patients make more of their everyday lives and activities.

We tapped into the truth around this once mysterious condition and chose a path that took the emphasis off of sexual health. Instead, we turned the spotlight on how TRT impacts a patient’s everyday tasks. Through our creative approach, we made men heroes of their lives again, elevating the mundane into heroic feats. We engaged HCPs with images as dynamic as movie posters, glorifying the way the daily grind can actually be heroic when their patients feel like themselves again. And, with meaningful clinical data to back it up, we ensured the HCPs would be heroes, too.

Turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Making mundane moments memorable. Framing the everyday as heroic. In short: Changing the conversation.

Kyzatrex Brochures

Results

Within a quarter of launching a bold, attention-grabbing campaign that used print, collateral, digital and social channels, the client was able to rapidly grab attention — and secure results. Among them included:

  • Generating a rapid spike in prescriptions
  • Inking a number of high-profile clinical agreements
  • Establishing an important co-marketing relationship with a leading telehealth company

Summary

The more competitive a market or communications space becomes, the more crucial it is to find ways to elevate a brand above the noise and clutter. In this case, a breakthrough shift to a differentiated brand personality embraced bigger, bolder graphics, allowing Kyzatrex to do exactly that. It also effectively engaged patients and HCPs in a highly human-centric way, positioning the client for greater success and to secure a larger share of this growing market.

Kyzatrex ads
April 17, 2024

Embrace the Unexpected

Growing tourism traffic in Fort Worth

Visit Fort Worth is the City partner responsible for powering economic development through tourism. They are tasked with representing the hospitality industry and sharing the Fort Worth story with and beyond the community, a large responsibility for a small and mighty team. Schaefer has gotten the honor to support the Visit Fort Worth team in a myriad of ways to help bring all that Fort Worth has to offer to visitors nationwide. 

Recently we developed a campaign to support the beloved Cultural District in Fort Worth, specifically beyond the metroplex focusing on promoting tourism via day trips or weekend trips from local drive markets. The Cultural District is unique in that it boasts more than 5 renowned and specialized museums all within walking distance of one another. This differentiator was key to our campaign. 

Go for the art. Stay for the wonder.  

There are many attractions and districts in Fort Worth for tourists to visit during their stay. While the Cultural District is rich in experience, it can be difficult to communicate all that it has to offer, specifically in short form. In order to increase foot traffic, specifically from drive markets, Schaefer developed a modular, multifaceted campaign signifying the initial draw, and amplifying the sustained value of your visit. 

Visit Fort Worth Out of Home

To appropriately frame the story of the Cultural District offerings, why you come and why you stay, we worked with the various museums and attractions to review available assets and create both still and video-based deliverables. 

We strategized an omnichannel media campaign to deploy across the primary markets of Austin, San Antonio and Houston, as well as our neighboring Dallas.  Our media approach spanned all tiers of the funnel and featured in-house programmatic and digital support paired with traditional mediums such as longer-form advertorials and video placements in localized publications and out of home. 

Visit Fort Worth Web and Email Marketing

Judging Success

If you’ve worked with Schaefer before, you know we are all about results. There are times, however, where those results are more challenging to track, specifically when awareness is a key indicator of performance (KPI). At the onset of the campaign we met with the Visit Fort Worth team to identify and align on our KPIs. 

With awareness from new visitors as the key performance indicator, Schaefer saw great success via our web metrics:

  • Page views increased – 407% YoY
  • Sessions increased – 835% YoY
  • New users increased – 958% YoY
April 16, 2024

A Membership to the Arts

Photo by Robert LaPrelle

Schaefer is a proud partner of the Kimbell Art Museum, having supported the museum in individual ticket sales and museum memberships for five years. Throughout our time together, we have led project-based initiatives like premiering the exhibitions to the community through unique, hands-on activations. We also support all digital media strategy and management throughout the year. 

A benefit to a long-term partner includes the compounded learnings that come from each year and every test. As we all know, the digital landscape is ever-evolving, and it is crucial for your campaigns to grow alongside it. 

Photo by Nic Lehoux

What’s Different?

As we closed out 2023, we reflected on what worked and what didn’t. The Kimbell offers museum-goers new exhibitions each year, and while each exhibition differs from one another, the timing stays somewhat regular. This allows us to test media strategies that overlap campaigns, such as brand or membership, with the peak season featuring new exhibitions. In 2023, we tested the use of higher awareness mediums combined with campaign overlap and tactic flighting to compare against 2022’s results.

We found that due to the name recognition of both the Kimbell and the renowned artists featured in the special exhibitions, awareness was less important in our target market. Therefore, we shifted our focus to conversion-based tactics for 2024. However, we also found that having our brand and membership campaigns ‘always on’ allowed for just the right amount of awareness to boost sales year over year. We applied these learnings to our 2024 plan and are eager to track performance as the year progresses.

Photo by Nic Lehoux

What Worked?

Another benefit of a partner like Schaefer is that we are always optimizing mid-campaign. We’re not waiting for end-of-year to review the campaigns, but constantly applying best practices and learnings to our live campaigns. Because of this, we saw significant growth and positive results in 2023: 

  • 180% website revenue growth YoY
  • 247% increase in revenue directly attributed to paid media
  • Over $8:1 annual return on ad spend (ROAS)

*Header photo by Nic Lehoux

Using BigFoot to tease a big reveal. 

Situation 

Within the eyecare industry, the idea of interventional glaucoma treatment has been categorized as an elusive myth for years. ViaLase developed a game-changing system designed to leverage two proven technologies to create a new, non-invasive approach to glaucoma. When this new system is approved by regulatory agencies, the myth will finally become a reality. Therefore, our client needed a campaign that would create attention and support a successful launch of the new concept.

Goals

  • Develop materials needed for a successful brand launch
  • Develop a highly visible campaign that would cut through the clutter of a crowded market 
  • Rapidly generate brand awareness
  • Explain the fundamental technology behind the device
  • Solicit interest and inquiries from qualified leads
  • Provide meaningful measurements of the campaign results

Strategy

Schaefer Advertising responded with a showstopping, attention-grabbing campaign that used teaser imagery of a Sasquatch, or “BigFoot”, creature to convey that the “mythical creature” was finally here – and real. The sheer uniqueness of the concept was a huge and dramatic departure from the cold, clinical ads embraced by other players in the industry. 

Solution

An integrated campaign was launched that included paid search, organic social, email, and digital display on well-known industry publications and websites. Each medium enabled the client to tell its story and document the response rates as viewers clicked through for downloads, demos and landing-page visits. 

Vialase yeti display ads

Results

By leveraging paid search and strategically-chosen publication placements (such as newsletters, e-blasts, ROS banners, and sponsored social posts), the campaign achieved noteworthy results within the first three months of launch.

  • Website tracking identified 98% new site visits, with an impressive 53% engagement rate
  • High clickthrough rates 
  • And, most importantly, awareness started with a bang, with healthy responses from an elite and highly-qualified audience of eyecare and glaucoma specialists
Sessions

15,864

New Users

13,771

Pageviews

17,130

Engagement Rate

53.42%

Vialase yeti print ads

Summary 

The launch campaign accomplished its primary goal of driving brand awareness among surgeons for ViaLase and its innovative design.  And, in addition to gaining insights into paid search performance, the client began to forge strategic partnerships with leading industry publications. The geographic spread and engagement metrics highlight the campaign’s effectiveness in reaching a qualified audience, setting a strong foundation for future marketing efforts.

Overall, the campaign was another example of Schaefer’s ability to combine solid knowledge of healthcare markets and attention-grabbing creativity to tell a cohesive and relevant brand story.

The Nutcracker ballet is a timeless performance that has delighted audiences for more than a century. Over time, it has cemented its place as a beloved holiday tradition and one of the most popular ballets of all time. Each holiday season, Texas Ballet Theater (TBT) stages 35 performances between Dallas and Fort Worth, which sets the tone for ticket sales throughout the season. For some ballet companies, sales from The Nutcracker make up more than 85% of a company’s ticket revenue for the season. While its popularity makes it easy to sell performance tickets, The Nutcracker also creates a unique opportunity to attract a broader audience to experience the art of ballet. 

As the agency of record for the past six years, Schaefer Advertising has helped TBT increase ticket sales year-over-year to make The Nutcracker a revenue powerhouse. Fresh off a record-setting year in 2022, TBT increased its goals for 2023. 

To meet the new goal, our team acted quickly to implement new optimizations that leveraged our current campaign assets, made strategic recommendations for TBT-owned channels, and proposed a few incremental options to get in front of new attendees. A peak-valley-peak approach to paid search led to higher revenue for lower costs, making paid search a key driver of conversion revenue. The coordinated email marketing campaign launched in late November ranked second in revenue generation. 

Texas Ballet Theater Nutcracker Assets

Results

The Nutcracker campaign concluded its 2023 run with record-breaking revenue and ticket sales, surpassing each previous year’s revenue and 2023 goals for both Dallas and Fort Worth. Total revenue closed at 120% to goal, with online sales specifically growing revenue by over 30% from last year.

2023 Goals

Revenue: $2,639,534
Ticket Sales: 36,080

2023 Actuals

Revenue: $3,237,384
Tickets Purchased: 47,056 

Campaign ROI

12:1

Texas Ballet Theater Social Media Assets
Texas Ballet Theater Display Posters
Texas Ballet Theater Nutcracker Website
Texas Ballet Theater Nutcracker Website Full Size

Challenge:

The American Advertising Federation (AAF) Fort Worth faced declining engagement and participation in their annual ADDY Awards. Agencies and marketers were submitting fewer entries, partly due to perceptions that the competition held less value, while attendees were becoming increasingly apathetic about the gala. These trends threatened AAF Fort Worth’s operational budget and the vitality of the local advertising community. With artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping the industry, AAF Fort Worth also sought to address the growing tension between human creativity and AI, highlighting that both can coexist and thrive together.

Solution:

We worked with Nick Utter of Content Shift and AAF Fort Worth to develop and execute a campaign that embraced the intersection of human creativity and AI. The campaign leaned into the concept of “The Creative Revolution,” presenting a scenario where AI hosted the ADDYs. By using AI both as a subject and a tool, we delivered messaging that was engaging, thought-provoking, and slightly ironic. Headlines such as “It’s time to submit,” “We’ve seen what you’ve done,” and “Victory is Coming” balanced curiosity with a playful acknowledgment of AI’s role in the creative process. The visuals and messaging reinforced that the future isn’t “us vs. them” but “us + them,” highlighting how AI can be a powerful partner rather than a threat.

“This project was an exciting opportunity to address a rapidly evolving topic in our industry—AI—and engage the advertising community in a fresh, unexpected way. By leaning into the irony of using AI to shape a campaign about its own impact, we were able to spark curiosity, start meaningful conversations, and show that embracing new tools doesn’t mean losing the heart of human creativity. I’m incredibly proud of how our team brought this idea to life, blending humor, insight, and artistry to resonate with our audience.


– Charlie Howlett

Outcome:

The campaign sparked renewed interest and conversation within the local creative community. It helped re-establish the ADDYs as a must-attend event and encouraged more entries from agencies, freelancers, and students. By shifting perceptions about both the competition’s value and the evolving relationship between humans and AI, AAF Fort Worth successfully reinvigorated enthusiasm around the event. The campaign demonstrated how creativity and technology can work together, positioning AAF Fort Worth as a forward-thinking organization and cementing the ADDYs as a meaningful celebration of advertising excellence.

This campaign recently earned a Gold ADDY at the 2025 American Advertising Awards, recognized for both its integrated campaign and poster series. This honor highlights the creative team’s thoughtful approach to the concept, their effective execution, and the impact the campaign had within the advertising community.

December 20, 2023

The Big Data Bowl of Life

Meet Andrew Lotz

Let’s start by getting to know you a little better. Tell us about yourself.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, raised in Saint Bernard Parish. Moved to Dallas after Hurricane Katrina and was recruited to play football at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas. While in school, I adopted two dogs. Cookie, who I found in a parking lot of a Sonic, living off scraps, and Louis, who was given to me. I majored in Information Systems and Data Analytics for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I enjoy the combination of creative problem solving and numbers.

In college, I was the General Manager of a brewery, whereI learned to brew beer and a lot about cooking. After graduating, I transitioned to a coaching role, serving as a QB assistant coordinator throughout grad school and eventually got hired by the Houston Texans to “turn numbers into colors,” which translates to leveraging data and analytics to learn more about their fans. 

I like to try new restaurants and discover new bars – preferably outdoor places with easy TV viewing. I watch a lot of football. No surprise. I like to find good bars. And I wants to visit every NFL stadium. So far, I’ve been to three. 

What’s something you love to do?

In no particular order: golf, pickleball and cooking.

Where is your favorite place?

New Orleans

What do you love about the job?

Continuous learning.

What is the last thing you binge-watched?

The Bear

What’s your favorite book?

Profiles in Courage

If you could live in any sitcom, which would it be?

Entourage, I’ve never been to California. 

Are you a listener or a talker?

Listener

If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Steak

If there weren’t any more computers, what would be your new occupation?

Football Coach

What’s the scariest thing you’ve done for fun?

Snuck into an abandoned orphanage.

What’s your favorite children’s story?

The Giver

If you had an extra hour of free time every day, what would you spend it doing?

Golfing

Any words of advice?

Failure is where growth happens.

Why Schaefer?

The company culture and opportunity to develop. 

For more about Andrew, check his bio.

Schaefer Advertising Co. | Ft. Worth, Texas
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