GO BEYOND THE GLOW
ArtsWave × BLINK
Integrated Marketing Campaign
Overview: Beyond the Festival
BLINK brings Cincinnati to life through art, light, and immersive experiences, creating an opportunity for people to discover the city's creative community. However, the excitement surrounding the festival only lasts a few days.
For this project, I was challenged to develop a marketing campaign for ArtsWave that would encourage BLINK attendees to download the ArtsWave App and eventually become ArtsWave Pass subscribers.
My solution, Go Beyond the Glow, uses BLINK as the starting point for discovering more of Cincinnati. Through a connected series of marketing touchpoints, the campaign introduces ArtsWave as a resource for finding experiences that match people's interests, even after BLINK ends.
Project Details
Client: ArtsWave
Project: ArtsWave × BLINK Campaign
My Role: Campaign Strategy, Concept Development, Graphic Design, Copywriting
Deliverables: Environmental Poster, Instagram Carousel, Email Campaign
The Challenge
While BLINK attracts people who are already interested in exploring Cincinnati, that interest does not necessarily translate into continued engagement with ArtsWave.
The challenge was finding a way to introduce the ArtsWave App without making it feel like something people would only use during BLINK.
How might we use the excitement of BLINK to encourage people to discover ArtsWave and continue exploring Cincinnati long after the festival ends?
I needed to develop a campaign that would not only capture attention during BLINK but also communicate the app's value beyond the event. This meant thinking about what would motivate someone to download the app, return to it, and eventually consider becoming an ArtsWave Pass subscriber.
Understanding the Opportunity
I began by looking at the relationship between ArtsWave and BLINK and how their audiences connect.
Although ArtsWave and BLINK serve different purposes, both contribute to Cincinnati's creative community. BLINK introduces people to art through a large-scale public experience, while ArtsWave supports arts organizations and helps people discover cultural opportunities throughout the region.
This connection became important to my approach. Rather than focusing entirely on what the ArtsWave App could offer during BLINK, I wanted to explore how the festival could introduce people to experiences they might continue enjoying throughout the year.
I also considered why someone might hesitate to download another app. Simply advertising events or discounts might encourage an initial download, but it would not necessarily create a reason to return.
The opportunity was to make ArtsWave feel relevant to each person, rather than presenting it as another general event resource.
The “What's Next?” & Exploration
I focused on young adults attending BLINK who enjoy exploring Cincinnati, trying new experiences, and finding things to do with friends or family.
This audience may be interested in live music, nightlife, art, or local events, but they do not always know where to find experiences that fit their interests.
Rather than assuming everyone attending BLINK would be interested in the same things, I wanted to create a campaign that recognized the variety of experiences people enjoy.
Key Insight:
They don't need more options. They need the right ones.
This insight became the foundation of my campaign. If ArtsWave could help people discover experiences that felt relevant to them, the app could become something they continued using beyond BLINK.
Ideation & Concept Development
With the audience and challenge in mind, I began exploring ways to connect the excitement of BLINK with ArtsWave's year-round value.
One of my main considerations was making sure the campaign did not rely entirely on BLINK-specific experiences. While those experiences could encourage downloads, I wanted the message to remain relevant once the festival ended.
I started exploring the idea of discovery beyond the festival. This led me to the phrase Go Beyond the Glow.
The word glow creates a natural connection to BLINK, while beyond encourages people to think about what comes next.
From there, I developed a second idea: What's Your Afterglow?
Instead of treating everyone's experience the same, the concept encourages users to think about what they enjoy most. Their Afterglow represents the types of experiences that keep them interested in exploring Cincinnati.
This allowed me to build the campaign around personalization rather than simply promoting the app's features. Also after getting feedback I made changes to some of the touchpoints to better convey the message and fit the brands guides.
1st Iteration of the 2nd touchpoint VS New Version
Building the Campaign
Once I established the concept, I needed to determine how people would encounter the campaign and what would encourage them to take the next step.
Rather than creating three unrelated advertisements, I developed a journey that moves people from discovering ArtsWave to finding experiences that interest them and continuing to engage after BLINK.
DISCOVER: Go Beyond the Glow
Introduce the ArtsWave App to attendees during BLINK.
PERSONALIZATION: What's Your Afterglow?
Show how ArtsWave connects people with different experiences based on their interests.
RETENTION: Keep Your Afterglow Going
Encourage continued app engagement after BLINK and introduce the value of ArtsWave Pass.
Each touchpoint serves a different purpose, but all three reinforce the idea that there is more to discover through ArtsWave.
Visual Direction
Connecting Two Brand Experiences
One of the biggest design considerations was finding a way to connect BLINK and ArtsWave without making the campaign feel like it belonged entirely to one brand.
I wanted the first touchpoint to capture the energy of BLINK, using a dark background, colorful Cincinnati imagery, and glowing typography.
As the campaign progressed, I introduced more of ArtsWave's colors and branding. This created a visual transition from the festival to the app, reinforcing the idea that BLINK is the starting point while ArtsWave provides continued opportunities for discovery.
I carried elements such as bold typography, bright colors, and Cincinnati photography throughout the campaign to keep the designs connected.
Touchpoint One
Environmental Poster: Awareness & Discovery
The first touchpoint was designed to reach people while they were attending BLINK.
I created an environmental poster that uses BLINK-inspired imagery and glowing typography to capture attention. The message, “There's More Beyond BLINK,” introduces the idea that the experience can continue through ArtsWave.
A QR code provides a direct way for attendees to discover and download the free ArtsWave App.
I intentionally kept the messaging simple because people encountering the poster would likely be walking through a busy festival environment. The design needed to communicate its message quickly while making the next action clear.
Why It Works
By reaching people during an experience they are already enjoying, the poster connects the excitement of BLINK to the opportunity to discover more through ArtsWave.
Touchpoint Two
Instagram Carousel: Personalization & Engagement
After introducing ArtsWave through the poster, I wanted the second touchpoint to show people why the app could be useful to them personally.
I developed an Instagram carousel built around the question, “What's Your Afterglow?”
The opening slide introduces four categories: Art + Culture, Night Out, Live + Loud, and Family Friendly. Each following slide highlights a different category using Cincinnati photography.
The carousel format allows people to swipe through different experiences and recognize the ones that appeal to them.
I also considered how targeted digital advertising could help ArtsWave reconnect with people who interacted with the campaign during BLINK, depending on the available audience data and permissions.
Rather than promoting the same message to everyone, the carousel introduces the idea that ArtsWave can help people discover experiences that fit their interests.
Why It Works
The carousel makes the ArtsWave App feel more personal and approachable. By highlighting different interests, it shows that ArtsWave offers something for a variety of audiences rather than focusing on one type of experience.
Touchpoint Three
Keep Your Afterglow Going
Post-BLINK Email: Retention & Conversion
For the final touchpoint, I wanted to address the most important part of the challenge: encouraging people to continue using ArtsWave after BLINK ends.
I designed a follow-up email centered around the message “Keep Your Afterglow Going.”
The email introduces personalized recommendations through a section titled “Picks for Your Afterglow,” highlighting different arts and entertainment opportunities throughout Cincinnati.
I also incorporated ArtsWave Pass benefits to introduce the value of continued engagement beyond the free app experience.
Visually, this touchpoint shifts further toward ArtsWave's branding. While the previous designs connect more directly to BLINK, the email focuses on ArtsWave as the resource that keeps people discovering new experiences.
Why It Works
The email gives users a reason to return by connecting their interests to new opportunities. It also introduces ArtsWave Pass as a potential next step, helping extend the relationship beyond the initial app download.
Measuring Success
The goal of Go Beyond the Glow is not simply to increase app downloads but to encourage people to continue engaging with ArtsWave after BLINK.
If implemented, I would evaluate the campaign by looking at how audiences move through each stage.
Awareness: QR code scans and Instagram ad engagement.
Acquisition: ArtsWave App downloads.
Engagement: Interactions with ArtsWave content and experiences.
Retention: Returning app users and email engagement after BLINK.
Conversion: ArtsWave Pass interest and paid subscriptions.
These measurements would help determine whether the campaign successfully turned an initial festival interaction into an ongoing relationship with ArtsWave.
Reflection
One of the biggest things I learned throughout this project was the importance of thinking beyond the individual design.
At first, the challenge seemed focused on encouraging people to download an app. However, as I developed the campaign, I realized that the more important question was what would motivate someone to continue using it.
This shifted my approach from simply promoting ArtsWave's features to creating a campaign centered on personal interests and ongoing discovery.
I also had to consider how each touchpoint would work independently while contributing to the larger campaign. The poster needed to capture attention, the carousel needed to demonstrate relevance, and the email needed to encourage people to return.
This project helped me strengthen my ability to connect research, marketing strategy, messaging, and visual design into a cohesive experience.
Go Beyond the Glow is really about turning a temporary moment of excitement into an opportunity for continued discovery.
BLINK gets their attention & ArtsWave keeps their curiosity.