Atascadero Shines at the California Mid-State Fair

How we depicted this destination in a custom window display.

Verdin believes in our destination clients, and we champion them by looking for creative opportunities to make a splash.

Our client, Visit Atascadero, had a unique chance to reach visitors at the California Mid-State Fair this year when every city in San Luis Obispo County was invited to put together a branded window display.

Our recommendation was a hearty “Go for it!” We saw the Mid-State Fair as a great opportunity because:

• The fair gets more out-of-town visitors than locals.

• It’s a great way to expose the town of Atascadero to visitors from feeder markets that fit into our strategic plan.

• It’s still an excellent chance to remind locals to spend time in Atascadero to eat, drink and enjoy the outdoor activities, meeting the goals of the City as well as the TBID.

Verdin worked with Visit Atascadero and the City of Atascadero to create a window display that would draw both locals and visitors to the town. With many other SLO County cities participating, we had to hone in on the qualities that distinctly set Atascadero apart.

WHAT WE DID

First and foremost, we wanted to utilize the custom videos we created last year with Juice Media. These videos capture the feel of an Atascadero getaway with custom music and beautiful cinematography. The window display was centered around a TV looping the videos.

We offset the high-tech centerpiece with a custom illustrated background that captured cheery fun in the sun. The bright colors represented the sunny summer days and vibrant experiences of Atascadero. The golden hills were an accurate depiction of SLO County in the summertime, fitting the “simply genuine” brand of Visit Atascadero.

Our window display captured the personality of Atascadero through a branded video and custom illustrated backdrop.

One of our favorite parts of the illustration was the crowd of people watching the movie in the park because it depicted the community, showing kids and dogs playing and people enjoying a summer evening. This perfectly played off the scenes in the video that showed local summertime events such as Concerts in the Park, Movies in the Garden, a weekly barbecue and the Farmer’s Market.

We left plenty of gems in the landscape that are unique to Atascadero: olive oil tasting, lavender farms, the lake, the centennial bridge, and of course a group of flamingos to represent the zoo. We also included a few attractions that are easily drivable, such as Hearst Castle, to indicate close Atascadero’s proximity to other activities.

THE RESULT

Check it out! We love the way the resulting window display captured the heart of Atascadero. Kudos to the vision of our Art Director Megan, the creativity of our team and the talents of Alexander Vidal, who provided the illustration! We learned new skills along the way, and had a lot of fun.

You can learn more about our client, the simply genuine town of Atascadero, at visitatascadero.com!