It’s an ad, really.

It just looks like a 3D-kinetic-paper-sculpture thingumbob. Or, Behind-The-Scenes of the Idaho Winter Campaign.

In traditional print advertising, placement is key. It’s all about reaching the right audience at the right place, at the right time. Different media outlets and publications are combined to achieve a desired reach and frequency level, and all that. That is so old school, though.

When Drake Cooper was asked by the Idaho Division of Tourism to find new ways to bring the Idaho Winter Adventure to life, we decided it was time to get off the page and get out into the real world. With the primary target of neighboring Northwest metropolitan areas, we installed a giant paper snow sculpture in one of the most heavily traveled areas, the Bellevue Square in downtown Bellevue. With a holiday foot traffic of over 120,000 shoppers a day, this opportunity proved to be a no-brainer considering that a print ad may take up to one month to reach just 400,000 impressions.

Under the call-to-action moniker “Tear it up,” shoppers are treated to a visually arresting installation constructed by Hens & Chicks Collective as an artful reminder of Idaho’s wide-open winter escapes and jaw-dropping snow assets, and adventure possibilities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aubg0Ss4Wms

(This is the trailer for the Tear It Up Installation. The making-of-video is even more awesome, with behind-the-scenes look at how Hens & Chicks Collective work.)

At several kiosks on site, visitors were prompted to visit the Idaho Winter website every week in order to enter to win a series of impressive prize packages in any of Idahoʼs deluxe key resort destinations. Even Jake Moe, co-founder of Powder Magazine, was on hand to answer questions about Idaho snow. Visitors to the website could check out current powder conditions, learn about other Idaho resorts, watch the behind the scenes video on the massive snow sculpture, and share with friends via Facebook and Twitter.

Call it luck, or some insider strategery, the installation launched just 50 yards from the grand opening of the Bellevue Square Microsoft Store. This event drew large crowds and long lines along with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and celebs like Apolo Anton Ohno, Dave Mathews Band, and Miley Cyrus. This flips the idea of distribution—the audience comes to us.

One further nod to Microsoft was the integration of Microsoft Tag technology for the QR codes on the display. This allowed people to access the Idaho winter website by simply using their mobile devices to snap an image of the code, go online, and enter the contest.

The results? With over 21,000 website visitors, 11,000+ sweepstakes entries, 6,119 partner opt-ins, 20 promotional offers (both online and at Bellevue Square)—the winter installation “ad” thingumbob is going strong.

High-Fives to all the suppliers and partners that donated over $30,000 in prizes.

Shout-Out: Idaho Division of Tourism, Idaho Film Office, Ski Idaho, Sun Valley Resort, Brundage, Schweitzer, Grand Targhee, Horizon Air, Smith Optics, EpicQuest, Kemper Development Company, Vision Marketing, Kira, Sara, and Shannon with Hens & Chicks Artist Collective, Mitch Mattraw with Cabfare productions, Lisa Gerber, Jennie Myers, Joe Quatrone, Josh Mercaldo, Justin Yonk, Lindsay Shumate, Amanda Cash-Crowley.