How the Arizona Office of Tourism and Saks Fifth Avenue Unlocked a New Luxury Market in NYC
Engagement
At first, the luxury offerings of Saks Fifth Avenue and the rugged terrain of Arizona’s iconic destinations seem an unlikely marketing pairing. However, an ongoing partnership between the Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) and the premier luxury retail brand has proven that pairing up with the right partner can make all the difference in making campaigns go the distance. We’re talking 139.7 million impressions across digital, offline, and out-of-home channels over the course of the partnership. Here’s how.
The Opportunity: Drive Excitement and Awareness to an Affluent, Engaged, and Travel-minded Audience
In 2018, Off Madison Ave, AOT’s Agency of Record, crafted a new campaign to promote their destination as an ideal place for leisure travelers in the U.S. To narrow the target audience, we consulted research which illuminated an untapped market in New York City, specifically among an affluent, engaged audience interested in leisure travel.
Big Apple, meet Grand Canyon.
While we were excited to tackle the challenge of marketing in New York, the expensive market and competitive media space meant we needed to make a splash in a meaningful way. Having previously partnered with brands like Hyundai, Conde Nast, Food and Wine, we knew the key to cutting through the noise and driving impact in a crowded space was partnering with the right brand, nailing the creative and messaging, and using a multi-channel approach.
Brainstorming sessions brought us to one particular intersection of travel and lifestyle: fashion. This led us to collaborating with luxury fashion icon Saks Fifth Avenue on an integrated marketing campaign, and the years-long partnership kicked off.
The Game Plan: Partner With Saks to Strategize & Execute a Multichannel Campaign With Stunning Creative That Captures Attention
The first chapter of this unconventional partnership came to life at just the right time: the start of the 2018 holiday shopping season. Saks’ iconic window displays were transformed into vignettes showcasing specific Arizona state and national parks with curated high fashion that complemented each destination. Inside the store, shoppers were met with southwest-inspired styles, complete with mannequins sporting adventurous ensembles to further fuel the Arizona wanderlust.
The immersive experience extended beyond retail through digital activations like dedicated landing pages, email campaigns, social media ads, and out-of-home executions. Motion bus shelter displays featured twinkling starry Arizona skies, while branded trash cans dotted the streetscape. There’s just something about that western spirit whispering to you while you navigate the concrete canyons of Manhattan…
The Result: Impressive Campaign Results and ROI
The Saks partnership unlocked powerful brand exposure and travel interest. Here’s what we found:
- 9% of New Yorkers recalled the Saks window takeovers
- Those aware showed higher interest to travel to Arizona
- Campaign delivered 12.7:1 return on investment
- Combined with out-of-home, it increased overall Arizona awareness
Customer feedback reinforced the campaign’s impact, with comments like “The landscapes in the windows made some of the most beautiful windows I’ve ever seen at Saks.”
The best part? There was enough positive feedback, engagement, and collaboration to keep going.
From One-Off Campaign to Ongoing Integrated Marketing Partnership
What began as a one-time collaborative effort has evolved into an enduring brand partnership. Each campaign has garnered millions of impressions over multiple channels thanks to iterated and innovative strategies driven by both parties. Arizona has been featured in Saks’ Spring Fashion look books, editorial landing pages, strategic banner ads touting Arizona travel, email marketing campaigns to Saks customer list featuring Arizona travel guides, and more.
Highlights of the subsequent campaigns include:
- An email marketing campaign to Saks customers with dedicated email circulation: 2,512,872 and 40% open rate (2023)
- A first-ever influencer initiative with content shared through Instagram and TikTok, capturing 5.1 million impressions (2024)
- Custom Instagram stories featuring imagery from the destinations, complementary product inspired by each location, the handles of each location, and a swipe up to the Editorial Landing Page. This garnered 13.6 million impressions (2020)
From custom landing pages on Saks.com and above-the-fold editorial features, to social media strategies, email marketing focused on storytelling, and more, we were able to reach audiences from every angle and drive them to consider putting Arizona on their bucket list.
Strategic Brand Partnerships: We Know How to Nurture ‘Em
The partnership between Off Madison Ave, AOT, and Saks has proven the right brand fit, creative execution, and channel mix can connect with audiences in an endless amount of fresh and wanderlusty ways. Not to mention, the effort has been fun. All teams are engaged, motivated to iterate on strategies, and brainstorm new ideas together.
It’s the stuff of dreams, but we make it a reality.
Learn more about what we do here. And when your brand is ready to experience a success story like the Arizona Office of Tourism, we hope you’ll let us know.
Results
139.7MM
Total media impressions
5.1MM
Impressions across Instagram and TikTok (2024)
40%
Email open rate (2023)
13.6MM
Delivered using custom Instagram stories driving to an editorial landing page (2020)
9
Percentage of New Yorkers that recalled the Saks window takeovers
12.7:1
Campaign ROI delivered
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