← work | Belle of Louisville | Tourism

Old Soul. New Vibe.

business problem

The historic steam-powered paddlewheeler Belle of Louisville was a beloved local icon—but locals increasingly saw her as a relic of their past, not a destination for today. Despite expanding from a single dinner cruise to more than 20 experiences, awareness of the new offerings remained low. The Belle needed to win back local audiences and attract a younger generation.

human truth

People hadn’t stopped loving the Belle. They’d simply stopped thinking about her. To bring her back into their lives, we needed to remind Louisvillians that the Belle wasn’t just something they remembered. She was something they could experience now—and have a lot of fun doing it.

bch strategy

We gave the Belle a modern glow-up without losing what made her iconic. We brought her to life as a new kind of party girl: a character styled as a glamorous ’20s flapper tucked inside a costume of the historic riverboat. She became the face of the brand’s transformation, helping people see the Belle in a completely new way—and showcasing her as the host of some seriously fun experiences. We introduced the character through video, outdoor and paid social, disrupting the expected way people thought about the historic riverboat. Once we had their attention, we shifted the spotlight from the Belle herself to the parties she hosts, using influencers, pedestrian boards and digital outdoor to bring those experiences to life. Our layered approach made the campaign feel less like advertising and more like a recommendation from someone who knows where the party is. Influencers provided a third-party endorsement of the fun happening onboard, while “Do Whatever Floats Your Boat” became the rallying cry across paid media, social and grassroots efforts.

results

The campaign repositioned the Belle as a relevant, must-visit Louisville destination—and brought her out of reminiscence and back into relevance. More importantly, the campaign contributed to the Belle’s strongest attendance year in nearly two decades, with more than 89,000 passengers coming aboard. • Most passengers in nearly 20 years • Paid media impressions 45% above projection • $3.71 CPM — significantly below the $5 target • 0.24% CTR — more than double the projection and nearly 5X industry average • Increased website traffic and multiple sold-out cruises