Our task was to capture the attention of an affluent audience by presenting the Town of Vail in a way that felt truly unique and distinct from the typical mountain-town narrative.

Unlike many North American ski towns, Vail wasn’t born from a mining camp, railroad stop, or cowboy hideout. It was purpose-built as a high-end, European-inspired ski destination nestled in the Rockies. With that origin comes an ethos of style, romance, fashion, play, achievement, and self-actualization. This became the foundation for our campaign, which unapologetically leaned into Vail’s heritage and positioned it as a singular U.S. destination unafraid to push into the surreal, the fantastical, and the dreamlike space of romantic escapism.

By reframing Vail through this lens, we not only drove the town’s luxury brand evolution and year-round destination growth, but also connected deeply with our High-Net-Worth travelers, earning a 92% positive rating from international guests and helping generate a 15% increase in lodging tax revenue.

The work redefined the visual language of mountain travel and tourism, moving away from the well-worn “hiking, biking, smiling family-of-four” narrative. By blending style and fashion with an iconic destination, the campaign served as a reminder of life’s most important luxury: to enjoy it fully, and to enjoy it now.

THE TEAM:
Client: Vail Local Marketing District
Marketing Specialist: Liz Gladitsch
Economic Development Director: Mia Vlaar
VLMD Board

Agency: Cactus
Senior Creative Director: Jeff Strahl
ACD / Art Director: Matt Chiabotti
Senior Art Director: Kay Borleis
Senior Art Director: Spencer Beurle
Junior Writer: Sam Herriges
VP, Account Leadership: Ainslie Fortune
Senior Account Manager: Heather Vazza
Account Manager: Lauren Scutt
VP, Brand Strategy: Mike Lee
Sr Project Manager: Helen Shabinsky
Project Manager: Jordan Leet
Print Producer: Raven Checkush
Production Design Mgr: Stephen Hausrath
Production Director: Brooke Woodruff
Executive Producer: Martha Douglas
Executive Producer: Erin BonSalle
Senior Producer: Carol Williams
Senior Producer: Annie Carney

Production Company: Naked City
Director: Brent Bonacorso
DP: Nic Restrepo
DP / Drone Pilot: Robert McEnaney
EP: Mark Sitley & David Schmidt
Line Producer: Danny Taff
Editorial: Jack Pyland
Flame Artist: Nic Seresin
FX Editorial: Christopher Broe
Color: Stuart Wheeler @ No.1 Color

Music: Q Department
Senior Producer: Jon Mackey
Creative Director: Zack Rice

Photographer: Nikolay Tikhomirov
Photographer: Jack Affleck

Influencer / Photo: Caitlin Fullam
Influencer / Photo: Jess Dales
Influencer / Photo: Annie Wanyi Jiang

Retoucher: Cream Studios
Parallax VFX: Crey W.