Bringing “Indy’s Backyard” to Life: Digital Advertising for White River State Park

Static & Animated Digital Ad Design

As one of Indiana’s top tourist destinations, White River State Park (WRSP) offers a unique blend of urban greenspace and major cultural attractions, including the Indianapolis Zoo, Victory Field, the NCAA Hall of Champions, and more. To increase year-round visitor engagement, WRSP launched the “Indy’s Backyard” campaign—a multi-platform marketing effort aimed at driving awareness and encouraging locals and tourists to explore everything the park has to offer.

I was responsible for designing static and animated digital ads for Google Ads, Pinterest, and Meta (Facebook & Instagram). These ads played a crucial role in the campaign’s paid media strategy, appearing across search networks, social media feeds, and display placements to engage audiences through visually compelling, brand-aligned creative.

Challenge

  • Capturing the Park’s Appeal Across Seasons – The campaign needed digital ads that would reflect WRSP’s year-round offerings, from summer concerts to winter attractions.

  • Optimizing for Multiple Platforms – The designs had to be flexible enough to work seamlessly across Google Display, Pinterest, Meta ads, and Performance Max placements.

  • Aligning with Brand & Accessibility Standards – All ads had to maintain consistent branding, include key attraction logos, and follow accessibility guidelines for readability.

My Role & Approach

Static & Animated Digital Ad Design

  • Designed seasonal ad sets for each campaign flight, incorporating dynamic, visually engaging elements to drive awareness and clicks.

  • Developed animated variations for Google Performance Max and Meta Stories/Reels, ensuring motion-driven storytelling to capture attention.

Platform-Specific Optimization

  • Google Ads: Created responsive display ads with optimized layouts, text overlays, and animations to enhance engagement across websites and apps.

  • Pinterest: Designed branded static visuals with text overlays that aligned with targeted search behaviors (e.g., “things to do in Indy” and “family-friendly activities”).

  • Meta (Facebook & Instagram): Developed feed and story placements, ensuring consistent branding while leveraging influencer content and video storytelling.

Adapting to Seasonal Messaging

  • August – November 2024: What Does Urban Greenspace Mean to You? → Designed 4 creative flights emphasizing the variety of outdoor spaces.

  • December 2024 – March 2025: Your All-Seasons Urban Getaway → Created 3 creative flights highlighting winter attractions and indoor venues.

  • April – July 2025: Visit Indy’s Backyard (Again and Again) → Developed 4 creative flights featuring interactive, event-driven visuals to encourage repeat visits.

Results & Campaign Impact

  • Strategic Creative Refresh Throughout the Year – With multiple creative flights, the campaign maintained high engagement and avoided ad fatigue.

  • Multi-Platform Optimization for Maximum Reach – Designs were tailored to each platform’s best practices, ensuring effective performance across social media, search, and display networks.

  • Scalable Digital Asset Library – Created a flexible design system for WRSP’s marketing team, making it easier to repurpose creative assets for future campaigns.

Relevance in My Portfolio

This project highlights my ability to:

  • Create engaging digital advertising assets for a large-scale, multi-platform campaign.

  • Develop both static and animated ad designs optimized for social media, search, and display networks.

  • Adhere to established brand guidelines and visual identity, ensuring consistency across all campaign touchpoints while maintaining creativity and flexibility.

  • Collaborate on strategic marketing initiatives that require seasonal messaging and cross-channel adaptability.

  • Design for the tourism and outdoor recreation industry, an area with high engagement and broad audience appeal.

By balancing brand consistency, seasonal storytelling, and multi-platform adaptability, this project showcases my expertise in digital ad design, campaign execution, and maintaining visual coherence across various media placements—a crucial skill set for any brand looking to engage audiences through compelling visual storytelling.