ark encounter
amusement & recreation | brand awareness campaigns
Part theme park, part museum — the Ark Encounter features a life-size Noah’s Ark — built according to the dimensions God provided to Noah in the Bible. JDA Worldwide partnered with the Ark to reach audiences year-round through paid media campaigns, of which I was the writer for over two years.
The Idea: 2025 comprehensive campaign ecosystem
Early in 2025, my CD and I identified an opportunity to proactively expand Ark Encounter’s marketing efforts by creating a comprehensive campaign ecosystem for the year ahead. Together, we developed two themes (below) including campaign concepts, marketing applications for Q1 through Q4 along with accompanying ad creative.
The Impact:
When the campaign launched in September 2025, Ark Encounter maintained strong ticket revenue during a period that typically sees a seasonal dip.
2025 Strategic Campaign Ecosystem
Theme One: Seasonality, with concepts and assets focused on travel & tourism.
Ark Encounter is a thrilling destination with compelling exhibits to explore that highlight the beauty of every season. Showcasing the Ark Encounter through the lens of seasonality highlights its grandeur year-round.
This approach allows for the creation of evergreen, visually compelling content that extends across channels, with opportunities for web and social integration.
Copy focused on:
Romanticized, playful language paired with sophisticated imagery, creating a renewed sense of wonder
Evoking the excitement and adventure of travel
Inviting new and returning guests to experience the Ark in a fresh, meaningful way
Sample Headlines:
Your Destination for Adventure
The Summer Cruise of a Lifetime
Let Your Legendary Summer Memories Begin
Theme Two: High-impact & disruptive advertising
The Ark Encounter is more than a structure—it's a testament to history, faith, and imagination. This campaign brings that to life through striking visuals and thought-provoking messaging—blending biblical authenticity with a modern, engaging voice.
Each piece of creative is designed to spark curiosity, deepen connection, and invite guests to see the Ark in a new way—one that feels both grand in scale and relatable.
Copy focused on:
Sparking curiosity using striking, witty language
Juxtaposing historic, reverent topics with modern, playful references
Building a sense of adventure
Evoking scale, whimsy, wonder, and realism
The Execution: Disruptive campaign digital ads (Meta and Google display)
Christmas 2024 Campaign
The Idea:
JDA’s creative team unwrapped a new approach to the Ark’s Christmas 2024 digital campaign. My CD and I presented the Ark as a fantastical winter wonderland to inspire guests to visit the annual ChristmasTime experience.
The Execution:
We developed the Christmas campaign concept and integrated campaign messaging across digital and social. Our team created ads distributed across Meta, YouTube, Fox, and Google display.
Copy focused on:
Evoking awe and reverence
Blending spiritual relevance with secular, natural beauty of the winter season
Making the experience feel sacred yet festive and unique
CD: Jonathan Vessely // Designer: Mitchell Acton
OOH | Reds stadium promo signage
With a mere 39 miles between The Ark and The Great American Ball Park, there was prime opportunity to reach hundreds of thousands of Major League Baseball fans. To catch this unconventional-yet-captive audience, the JDA creative team created a 15-minute stadium-wide digital takeover promoting the Ark. The ads ran during one inning of every Cincinnati Reds home game throughout the 2025 season. Each promo features illuminating facts and trivia about Noah’s Ark and the Bible to inspire baseball fans to discover the attraction for themselves.
CD: Jonathan Vessely // Motion Designer: Mitchell Acton
