Luquire Launches Cheeky Campaign Empowering Travelers to Adopt Shared Ethic to Recreate Responsibly in the Outdoors 

Campaign’s two-pronged approach uses comical spots to educate visitors, ensure longevity of state’s natural resources  

Integrated marketing and advertising agency Luquire and longtime client Visit North Carolina launched the consumer-facing campaign for the Outdoor NC “Do Good” initiative, which promotes and empowers travelers and residents alike to recreate responsibly in North Carolina’s outdoor spaces. The cheeky, research-driven program showcases the deeply authentic natural experiences across the state with the end goal of preserving those places and experiences for future generations.  

Luquire’s annual trends research helped inform the campaign’s direction, most notably finding authenticity and values alignment as key drivers behind a brand’s ability to connect with consumers today. Specifically, data showed travelers are pulling away from experiences that diminish the cultural narrative and instead leaning into authentic, sustainable experiences driven by local knowledge and insights. For instance, Expedia’s 2022 Sustainable Travel Study indicates 70% of respondents want to travel sustainably but feel overwhelmed and unsure where to start, and countless data sources show consumers choose to support brands that align with their personal values, with sustainability rising to the top of that list.  

Armed with this research, the Luquire team developed a dual-pronged strategy, “Feel Good” and “Do Good.” The “Feel Good” arm of the strategy intends to inspire consumers to visit the state with brand campaign messaging based on a shared value of supporting sustainability practices. The “Feel Good” approach warms audiences to the idea of recreating responsibly and is targeted at out-of-state travelers. The “Do Good” side of the strategy is education-based messaging rooted in the Outdoor NC Leave No Trace principles for those that have confirmed travel or are already traveling throughout North Carolina. It is served to residents and travelers alike, delivered through a strategic media plan intended to meet outdoor recreators in the moments the message is apt to be best received. The humorous, yet instructional Outdoor NC campaign builds on broader Visit NC brand campaign efforts to increase leisure travel to the state, with the specific focus of changing traveler and resident behavior in order to preserve natural and outdoor spaces for future generations of travelers. 

The “Do Good” campaign for Outdoor NC advises travelers to “Practice Good Habits in All Habitats” and plan ahead, with one ad poking fun at a family who claims to be “ready” for a camping trip with no hiking boots, tent or sleeping bags packed and an empty fuel tank. Another ad shows a real estate agent perplexed as a couple attending an open house casually walks across all the home’s furnishings, followed by a voiceover encouraging visitors to “Stick to the Trails” to protect animal and plant habitats.  

“The beauty of this campaign is that the almost clownish behavior of these characters makes so glaringly obvious the do’s and don’ts of outdoor etiquette – which are often ignored or not considered, due to lack of awareness and overall education – and helps viewers to better understand the role everyone plays in preserving North Carolina’s great outdoors,” said Luquire Chief Creative Officer Glen Hilzinger. 

The “Do Good, NC” campaign will run through early July, with a heavy emphasis promoting responsible recreation in the outdoors leading into the peak summer months. The campaign will include paid social, paid search, digital, out of home, display and custom content and will be complemented by owned and organic efforts.