The peaceful side of the Smokies. Smoky Mountain Tourism.
Reframing a Familiar Destination
A break-through ad campaign was needed to persuade vacationers that there is a quieter side to the Smoky Mountains away from the busy destinations of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, where many people come to visit Dollywood and other attractions. Working with an illustrator, we developed a concept where isolation is portrayed as a positive thing, a get-away chill-vibe to consider outside of the go-to destinations in the mountains of the Appalachia.
Becoming one with nature, and a sense of creating tradition was at the forefront of our initial concepts for this campaign, that no doubt followed us to the final creative. Not only does peaceful quality time away from mobile devices strengthen and build family bonds, but it also provides a sense of belonging and security that most families need, especially if these traditions can be made together. This 360° key art campaign was focused in busy airport and travel locations to remind people that nature is calling, away from it all.
Case Study:
Role: Design Director (Concept, Design Direction, Campaign Development)
Scope: Brand campaign, digital, social, and environmental extensions
The Challenge
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the U.S.—but that popularity comes with a problem: it’s often perceived as predictable, crowded, and visually interchangeable with other outdoor destinations.
The opportunity wasn’t awareness—it was relevance.
How do you make a place people already know feel new, personal, and worth choosing again?
The Insight
Most travel marketing focuses on sweeping landscapes.
But repeat visitors don’t return for the “view”—they return for the feeling of being inside it.
The Smokies aren’t just scenic—they’re immersive, shifting, and deeply sensory:
Fog that rolls in and transforms visibility
Light that constantly reshapes the terrain
Quiet moments that feel personal despite scale
The Idea
“Get Closer to the Moment”
Instead of selling the destination as a postcard, the campaign reframes it as a series of intimate, lived-in experiences.
Visually, the work moves away from grand, distant compositions and leans into:
Cropped, immersive framing
Double exposure photo illustrations, atmospheric transitions
Texture, light, and proximity
The Goal:
Make the viewer feel like they’re already there, not just looking at it.
Execution
The system was designed to scale across channels while maintaining a cohesive emotional tone:
Digital & Social: Short-form, high-frequency moments focused on atmosphere over landmarks
Out-of-Home: Close-cropped visuals that disrupt typical “wide landscape” expectations
Brand System: Flexible visual language built around light, layering, and environmental shifts
I led concept development and visual direction, ensuring consistency across formats while adapting the idea to different touchpoints.
Impact
Repositioned the Smoky Mountains from a passive scenic destination to an active, emotional experience
Created a scalable visual system that can extend across seasons and campaigns
Strengthened differentiation in a crowded outdoor tourism category
Awareness & Reach
Increased campaign reach and traffic by 6% in visitor spending vs. previous seasonal campaign
Visitation to the Cades Cove area from the Townsend side increased by 3%.
The campaign targeting millennials, families, and empty-nesters utilized digital ads on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, with a focus on areas like Kentucky, Ohio, and Georgia.
The "Peaceful Side" brand has encouraged new business development, such as the Peaceful Side Social Brewery in Townsend.
High-Value Tourism: The area is increasingly recognized for catering to visitors seeking "tranquil atmosphere," outdoor activities, and nature-based tourism, acting as a counterpart to the high-volume traffic in neighboring Sevier County
