We Cracked a Summer Campaign for WWT

The challenge: Beyond the Binoculars

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), a leading UK conservation charity, faced a familiar challenge for its Slimbridge and Martin Mere sites: how to attract more families during the competitive summer holiday period. WWT needed a campaign that would not only drive footfall but also deepen visitor engagement, shifting the perception of the wetlands from a simple nature walk to an exciting, interactive family adventure – the codebreaker trial. The core objective was to create a memorable campaign to support trail, that would resonate with families long after their visit and reinforce the vital importance of wetland habitats.

The Insight: Unleashing the Power of Playful Discover

Fiora recognised that to capture the imagination of children and parents alike, we needed to speak their language. The modern family craves shared experiences and a sense of discovery. This would tap into a child's natural curiosity and a parent's desire for educational, engaging activities. The solution had to be clever, immersive, and intrinsically linked to the WWT's summer trail.

The Solution: The Wetlands Cipher

Our core concept was a captivating misdirection cipher to draw attention to the event, which was designed to be solved by families as they explored the expanses of Slimbridge and Martin Mere. The campaign was built around a secret anagram: "Wetlands are amazing." These letters were hidden in the misdirection cipher. 

This central idea was woven into every aspect of the campaign, from initial promotion to the on-site experience.

Multi-Channel Advertising

Out-of-Home (OOH) Eye-catching billboards and bus shelter ads were placed in key family-centric locations. These ads didn't just show a picture of the wetlands; they presented a challenge. Featuring a single, beautifully designed letter-puzzle sign amidst lush wetland scenery, the copy posed intriguing question, "Puzzled? You will be."

Social Media: A targeted social campaign ran across WWT Slimbridge's social, engaging parents with puzzle-based ads. This offered a taste of the main event. 

Print: Adverts in local family magazines and newspapers mirrored the OOH campaign's mysterious and engaging tone, appealing to a core audience of local parents and grandparents planning summer activities.

On-site Experience

The Trail Card: Upon arrival, families were handed a beautifully designed trail card. This wasn't a map; it was their key to solving the cipher. It contained the grid for the final anagram and a series of puzzles that corresponded to different locations around the site.

Puzzle Signs: Dotted across the wetlands, families discovered large, interactive puzzle signs. Each sign was a work of art, featuring a unique puzzles, a visual riddle – that, when solved, revealed one of the letters in the secret message. The signs were strategically placed to guide visitors through different habitats, ensuring they experienced the full diversity of the wetlands.

The Impact: A Resounding Success

The "Codebreaker" campaign delivered exceptional results for WWT Slimbridge and Martin Mere, successfully transforming a passive visit into an active adventure. The integrated approach ensured the journey started before visitors even arrived and culminated in a satisfying "Aha!" moment.

The campaign led to a significant uplift in family ticket sales across both sites compared to the previous summer. More importantly, it fostered a deeper level of engagement. Families were observed working together, spending more time at each habitat, and actively discussing the puzzles and the surrounding nature. 

Fiora created a campaign that was not only fun but also powerfully educational. Families left not just with memories of a great day out, but with a newfound appreciation for the incredible ecosystems WWT works to protect. The success of the trial has provided WWT with a powerful new template for visitor engagement.