To show the world that the region was untouched, we decided to use the same name that drove people away, to bring them back. We created a digital promotion inviting all non-Hurricane Patricias to Mexico. Patricias simply had to post or submit a photo or video on social media or on www.WelcomePatricias.com showing they were just as ready for the trip as Mexico was for the storm. The best submissions won an all-expenses-paid trip to the same region affected by Hurricane Patricia.

The campaign was sequentially orchestrated.

Just three weeks after the hurricane hit, we launched our promotional website along with an online video featuring Emmy Award winning actress, Patricia Heaton. We invited all Patricia's across North America to enter for a chance to win a trip to the very region Hurricane Patricia was supposed to destroy.

Simultaneously targeted Facebook Ads and sponsored posts targeted people named Patricia's and their friends.

Heaton also posted vignettes to her “Tweatons” on Twitter for some additional inspiration.

Three weeks following the launch, a national television commercial featuring Heaton and other Patricia's in Mexico encouraged even more Patricia's to enter. This was launched along with a banner and print campaign directing people to the promo website.

The promotion allowed for mass coverage in the US and Canada, and drastically increased awareness of the region’s recovery and readiness to receive the tourists.

Our videos received more than 670,000 views on the different channels and the promotional website had over 175,000 unique visitors. Overall, the campaign had 640 MM total impressions in less than 2 months. The promotion, and the buzz that it created resulted in a hotel occupancy increase of 66% as compared to the week the hurricane hit. That’s an extra 6,000 booked rooms per week.