Schaefer Advertising Co.

Strategy

August 15, 2019

Getting closer to the African Savanna

Situation

When the Fort Worth Zoo enlisted Schaefer Advertising to help drive people to their new African Savanna exhibit, we couldn’t wait to take the bull by the horns and get to work. Our team was able to come up with a rich campaign that encapsulated the spirit of the exciting new exhibit.

The new African Savanna exhibit was built around a central prairie that houses giraffes, springbok, ostriches and many more species all in one exhibit. A winding path gives visitors a 360-degree view of the animals in the prairie and allows people to get closer to the animals than ever before. This creates a truly unique experience for each visitor and ensures that no two visits are alike. The main attractions are the hippo exhibit that includes above-water and underwater viewing, and the giraffe feeding deck. The new Savanna exhibit features shaded viewing spaces and is surrounded by an aviary that houses a variety of bird species.

Goals

Generate awareness of the new African Savanna exhibit
Send interested web traffic to the Zoo’s website
Drive more ticket sales centered around new exhibits

The Approach

The Get Closer campaign was created to highlight the capabilities of the new African Savanna exhibit and emphasize the intimate experience that the space offers visitors. We needed to clearly communicate that the African Savanna allows patrons the opportunity to get closer to the animals than ever before, and illuminate the giraffe feeding platform, and the hippo exhibit.

Before launching the campaign, our team developed a detailed multimedia strategy that would get more people interested in exploring the African Savanna exhibit. To deploy a fully-integrated campaign, we incorporated digital and broadcast ads alongside more traditional out-of-home ads in the form of pole banners, billboards and bus benches that were placed in strategic positions throughout the metroplex.

The Creative

The campaign featured the two stars of the new exhibit: the underwater hippo viewing area, and the elevated giraffe feeding station. Schaefer developed concepts that communicated the intimacy of the space, while also inviting audiences to look adventure in the eye.

We really enjoy using a medium to its full potential and thinking about new ways to use traditional mediums that command consumer attention. For the Get Closer hippo billboard, we used extensions to maximize the real estate on the board and communicate the capability of the new hippo viewing area. By extending the hippo’s head over the top of the board, we were able to mimic the water line and show viewers the capabilities of the exhibit.

Savanna TV Spot

We chose to use the African Savanna TV spot to expand and support the campaign’s core idea of “getting closer” to the animals and take local families on an authentic African safari right in the heart of Fort Worth. The commercial features children and families getting close enough to the animals to play a small game of “monkey-see, monkey-do,” and interacting with the new exhibit’s animal kingdom. Filming animals is unpredictable, but the “talent” decided that they were ready for their closeups and behaved like seasoned professionals.

The Results

The weekend after campaign launch saw a 316% increase in ticket sales compared to the weekend before campaign launch.
The 60 days after campaign launch sold greater than 35,000 more tickets than the same 60-day segment in 2017, for a 14.3% increase in ticket sales.
Standard media display click-thru-rate 216% higher than industry benchmark of .06%.
Rich media display click-thru-rate 46% higher than industry average of 2.25%.

Making Life Better

At Schaefer, we strive to make life better with each project that we take on and in every conversation we have. Going to the Fort Worth Zoo is an incredible experience, and it’s an honor to work with an organization that practices such extensive conservation efforts. Feeding a giraffe or standing eye-to-eye with a hippopotamus is such a joy for people of all ages and working to share that experience with a wider audience was the big cat’s pajamas.

May 12, 2019

Psoriasis treatment made simple: branding and launching Prosoria

More than 9 million Americans battle psoriasis every year, and many of them aren’t happy with their treatment options. Fort Worth-based biotech company Nuvothera recognized a market opportunity for a more effective over-the-counter (OTC) psoriasis treatment, so they created a powerful three-step solution that patients could purchase without a prescription. Schaefer was charged with branding the new product and encouraging patient adherence.

Goals:

Drive brand awareness, interest and online purchases among the target audience
Generate audience interest
Establish trust and credibility of Prosoria
Motivate consumers to buy Prosoria online
Build customer loyalty and drive repeat purchases

The Situation

Most people that suffer from psoriasis share a general dissatisfaction and skepticism with their current treatments and their over-the-counter options. They are constantly seeking something to treat psoriasis effectively and help them stay clear by preventing flare ups. They’ve tried other solutions – both prescriptions and OTC – but they haven’t found the treatment that’s right for them.

Enter Prosoria.

Prosoria contains clinical-strength, natural ingredients that work to effectively relieve the symptoms of psoriasis. Prosoria gives people battling psoriasis the confidence they need to stick with their skincare regimen and reinforces their confidence with an effective treatment for managing their psoriasis that is safe to use every day. It is a safe, effective solution and stands out as a trusted OTC medication.

A Message that Reads as Easy as 1-2-3

We wanted to highlight that Prosoria was an easy-to-use, highly effective OTC product with the quality of prescription psoriasis treatment. When creating the brand, we developed a logo and brand that stands out in the OTC space, but still has the reliable look and feel of a prescription-strength brand. Our team also sought to create a package that stood out on the shelves and engaged consumers to pick it up and purchase Prosoria.

We created a logo that includes 3 dots on top of the “i” in “Prosoria” to symbolize the application process and the packaging links together to illustrate a clear sequence of order and use. Like so many products, adherence is key and we wanted consumers to clearly understand how to use this product to get the best results. The gradual, easy gradient of blue to purple nods to the ease of use and the friendly effects of psoriasis treatment by Prosoria.

Results:

Created a compelling, friendly identity system and packaging that communicates the ease and effectiveness of a new product that will stand out in the over-the-counter space.

November 1, 2017

A little stronger

One of our clients, Air Comfort, is located at the heart of Southeast Texas, where Hurricane Harvey hit a few months ago. While the area was still reeling, they came to us with an urgent request – help us create a powerful video that embodies how we’ve been part of the community effort in dealing with this natural disaster. Through our partnership with N8 Visuals, we were able to bring that request to life.
Creating this video was a delicate line to walk, showing the damage and rebuild without appearing to capitalize on the situation. It was also an incredibly time sensitive assignment, where we needed to be nimble and move quickly.

With that in mind, the concept we developed relies on storytelling VO and speaks more to the community’s spirit of resilience and heart rather than focusing on Air Comfort. We were inspired by the true stories of a community coming together and helping their neighbors, and it showed. Air Comfort employees opened their homes to our team and let us film during an incredibly sensitive time, laying bare entire neighborhoods that were destroyed.
The results of those efforts show in the final video, and we couldn’t be more proud. #SETXSTRONG

April 7, 2017

A lasting impression

HurstCC.com

The Hurst Conference Center website redesign brings an air of elegance to the venue. Currently catering to corporate meeting planners, social event coordinators and brides-to-be, the website needed to provide specific information that was relevant to each target audience. This was achieved through intuitive navigation and individualized content.

The website leads with beautiful photography of the venue and, most notably, their fiber-optic chandelier. The refreshed design reflects high-end clientele and more aptly represents the quality of service the Hurst Conference Center offers.

Utilizing grid structures for organizational clarity, every aspect of the redesign provides a hassle-free planning process for potential clients. Each interior page has responsive menus that display room capacities, technical offerings and floor plans. With all the details carefully thought out, the quality of online service now mirrors the level of customer service the Hurst Conference Center provides.

February 20, 2017

Keeping it cool

Family-owned and operated since 1954, Air Comfort is an HVAC and Refrigeration company that provides customized solutions in the residential, commercial, industrial and marine sectors. Founded on the values of quality, integrity, commitment and safety, Air Comfort delivers excellence in everything from custom fabrication to service and installation. As the Southeast Texas based company began to grow into extended markets, the brand needed to reflect the level of professionalism and expertise of the business.

The brand refresh began, as most do, with the logo. Subtle adjustments to color, shape and typography brought the logo set up to date while maintaining the equity of the original mark. From there came brand extensions, most notably the van wraps. As a primary symbol of their service and residential sectors, the vans needed to communicate the brand’s new identity and serve as a moving advertisement while out on the job.

Originally relying on word-of-mouth and face-to-face business, Air Comfort had a need to speak to a larger audience. And when we say speak, we mean allow the Vice President to “Fabio-up” and lay it all on the line for his business. With years of growth and notoriety in the community, Air Comfort’s team was eager to let their hair down with a humorous TV spot, and we couldn’t have been more proud of the finished product:

December 27, 2016

A wilder vision

watercolors_2

Situation:
The Fort Worth Zoo, one of the top 5 zoos in the country, is undertaking a massive expansion campaign, with the goal of raising $100 million dollars to expand the park. The expansion will include new exhibit space, renovated habitats, special events space, multiple dining areas, and most importantly, new ways to observe, interact with and learn about animals. The expansion will guarantee for future generations the survival of many endangered species.

Opportunity:
The Zoo needed a clever solution to bring this capital initiative campaign to life to the Fort Worth and surrounding communities. Schaefer Advertising was tasked with developing an integrated media strategy and creative campaign to drive awareness, engagement, ambassadorship and donations.

Approach:
On September 12, Fort Worth got water-colored. The Fort Worth Zoo kicked off the public phase of its $100 million capital campaign by promoting splashes of color all over the city. For 5 weeks, the community chattered with speculation on what this “advertising as art” represented. The campaign evolved over the following weeks, with each phase revealing a little bit more of the campaign. Culminating with a launch event for community leaders, the campaign revealed the public-facing fundraising effort.

Campaign Goals:

Generate awareness of “A Wilder Vision,” the Fort Worth Zoo’s plans for significant expansion over the next 8 years.
Drive donations from the Dallas-Fort Worth Community.
Drive web traffic to the Zoo’s giving site in order to generate excitement and process donations.

Results:
Our reporting approach consisted of consolidating data from multiple sources such as social media platforms, display networks, and external and internal email platforms for a multi-phased campaign approach. By making continuous optimizations throughout the campaign, we were able to drive the below performance wins.

In the quiet phase, the Zoo raised approximately $90 million of the $100 million goal, with the public facing campaign focused on generating the remaining $10 million. The campaign continued until the end of November and will begin again in FY2017.

98%

Display engagement rates above the industry benchmarks

164%

Increase in traffic, from Phase 1 to Phase 2

84%

Lift in impressions from Phase 1 to Phase 2

41%

Increase in web sign-ups from Phase 1 to Phase 2

15%

Above industry performance benchmark open rates for email

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August 17, 2016

Deeper roots. Wider branches.

2015 was a year in which BRIT grew both inward and outward. The Botanical Research Institute of Texas deepened its roots by digging into its own resources. An eleven-month survey of the herbarium unlocked the secrets of their plant collection, uncovering the true size and scope of the herbarium while pointing to research opportunities under our own roof. At the same time, they brought on a new executive director, Ed Schneider, to lead the organization into the next chapter of its story within our community.
Schaefer developed the 2015 BRIT Annual Report as a modern field guide of sorts. The piece brings together the institution’s vast scientific knowledge, the beauty of its subject matter and the community of people who love BRIT. On the cover we used a natural, craft paper similar to sturdy field guides or journals, but used a gold foil illustration to contrast the more rustic look with something more modern and sophisticated.

We included four, nineteenth century etchings, printed on translucent vellum, to highlight the impressive collections housed within the walls of BRITs office. Not many people know that BRIT is home to one of the largest herbaria in the in the United States with over a million specimens. They also have an impressive collection of original etchings, paintings and books dating back to the 1700’s. We felt these collections presented a new side of BRIT and positioned them right alongside the incredible museum neighbors in Fort Worth’s cultural district.

We also worked with photographer Gary Logan to capture portraits of the individuals who played big roles in this past year’s success. The portraits brought faces to the institution and broke down any perception of BRIT being solely focused on plants. They are truly made up of great people with tremendous passion for what they do and the impact of their pursuit goes beyond what most of us know.
We are really pleased with the end result and proud to partner with BRIT for a second year in a row.

May 3, 2016

What’s stopping you?

Did you know that right here in Tarrant County we have one of the premier Fire Service Training Facilities in the Southwest, an elite culinary kitchen experience and a world class dance program? We do. Across 7 campus’, Tarrant County College offers these unbelievable programs and facilities to put success within reach for over 50,000 students.

Shot on location, in TCC’s real “classrooms”, we paired actual TCC students with the obstacles they’ve faced on their journey to higher education and showcased how TCC’s diverse and unique programs are putting success within their reach. For the thousands of potential students facing their own obstacles; TCC has a path for you and one question to ask. What’s stopping you?

March 31, 2016

Rugged as the land you walk

Chippewa Boots is an American legacy that dates back to 1901 and has been worn for generations by hardworking, passionate men and women who helped build and shape this country. Today, Chippewa Loyalists remain steadfast ambassadors for the brand, but a new breed of Chippewa customer – the young urban – is emerging and embracing the lifestyle that Chippewa represents. In 2016 Chippewa, a division of Justin Boots, a Berkshire Hathaway Co., sought Schaefer Advertising to create an elevated brand platform that would continue to reflect the legacy, quality and craftsmanship of their boots, but also bridge the brand’s appeal to this new target audience.

The new brand creative features sweeping imagery that captures the Chippewa lifestyle in its Americana roots. The platform features a custom trade show exhibit that launched at America’s largest outdoor trade show, Outdoor Retailer, along with new catalogs, look books, advertising, web and social elements. Outdoor Retailer was so impressed with the new platform, Chippewa was upgraded to a premier location within the “America” section of the show. Sit back and relax while you take in the new Chippewa.

March 9, 2016

Empowering innovation

What happens when a billion dollar, Berkshire Hathaway company, a global market leader in the distribution of innovative, technologically advanced semiconductors and electronic component parts, approaches you to create a brand persona? At Schaefer we think big. In 2015 we introduced Grant Imahara, celebrity engineer, robotics expert and Mouser customer for 20 years as the company’s spokesperson. We blended Grant’s appeal to the Mouser audiences with true stories from real-world engineers who are responsible for some of the world’s most cutting edge initiatives. Ultimately, creating the “Empowering Innovation” campaign. Cast across digital, social, event and traditional platforms “Empowering Innovation” reached millions and continues to engage and inspire engineers across the world in 2016.