Variety is a funny thing.

With more options it’s easier to cast a wider net, but with more options it’s harder to become known for one thing which, as ski resorts know, is a pretty powerful ally in the wintertime.

Put another way, you know those calls asking if you have this or that during summer? Ever get a call in January asking if you have skiing?

Okay, during a normal winter. ;)

All Together
I think the challenge quickly becomes finding a unique brand or device to bring all those different possibilities into one, succinct message.

A few resorts have done this successfully and I think you can add Ski Apache to the list as well with their new “Find Your Element” campaign.

Take a RIDE on the wild side 🤙🏼Our mountain biking trails are open all summer long. Grab your day passes here –– https://t.co/gUGMePcn1w
Find your element at #SkiApache pic.twitter.com/3ZHChd0TQ3

— Ski Apache (@SkiApache) July 29, 2018

Right off the bat, notice three things:

1. The use of colors
2. The use of numbers
3. The use of an existing concept (periodic table)

All of these pieces help group all of these activities under a unified idea. But they also simultaneously help keep them separate and make them easier to remember and identify.

After I had seen the “hiking” color/number/element combination a couple times, I recognized it at a glance before I ever read the copy.

The Sierra Blanca Mountains’ natural beauty makes us a hiker’s dream. We have trails for everyone. #FindYourElement at Ski Apache.
More info here –– https://t.co/gUGMePcn1w pic.twitter.com/7VstWk2jnA

— Ski Apache (@SkiApache) July 30, 2018

Zip tours are one that haven’t stuck yet, but using the same pattern it’s just a matter of me bumping into that piece of content a few more times which, more than likely, I would have already done if I were actually in their market.

Ziplining with your crew should be your next summer adventure 👉🏼 https://t.co/y5sEhWRFuf pic.twitter.com/7Asm6Gg2Bu

— Ski Apache (@SkiApache) July 27, 2018

Speaking of which, notice how these elements work together in a simple, 15-second TV spot like this one.

Even though it’s short, the colors, numbers, and abbreviations make it easier to pick out and remember the unique activities they mention.

It was a little tough to find what elements #3 and #5 were (I found them eventually at the top of their Instagram profile – #3 is play and #5 is ski)…

…but the fact that I was curious enough to fill in the gaps is an interesting lesson in itself.

Multiple Angles
So, yeah, I really like what Apache has done.

And even more, I love that they give the reader multiple ways to remember and stick each activity if their brain. Not just a clever shape, but colors and numbers and photos as well.

Good stuff.

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.