Case Study: A Viral Campaign for Pennsylvania's 2026 Events

CLIENT

Visit PA

PROJECT

PA 2026 Commercial Spot

SPOTLIGHT ON

Advertising & Campaign Development

How do you hype up a once-in-a-generation year before it happens? We threw a party for Visit PA first — and captured it all in a spot.

THE CHALLENGE

In 2026, Pennsylvania was preparing to host a historic lineup of events: NFL Draft, FIFA World Cup, PGA Championship, MLB All-Star Week, America’s 250th celebration and a free statewide summer concert series. Visit Pennsylvania tasked Vault Communications with creating a commercial spot to make both out-of-state travelers and Pennsylvanians feel the excitement of this moment, compelling them to attend.

But there was a catch: no event footage existed yet, and production was set in winter, well before warm-weather events were underway. Traditional tourism spots lean on scenic visuals and live event shots, so Vault got creative to capture the energy in advance. We put Pennsylvania’s greatest asset front and center — the fans, the characters, the people you actually want to party with — and let them make the case for joining in the celebration. 

OUR APPROACH

  • Build the “Party People” concept, a fever-dream-inspired execution that bypasses the need for event footage entirely, using atmosphere, energy and iconic Pennsylvanians to tell the story 
  • Anchor the spot around a block party and tailgate format, packed with Pennsylvania Easter eggs and nods to state lore 
  • Cast a full roster of Pennsylvania legends and characters including Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, Gritty, the Phillie Phanatic, SWOOP, Steely McBeam, Mummers and Pennsylvania park rangers, along with real fans and influencers such as Chill Moody, the West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad, Philly Girls Jump, Philly Sports Guy and Project Positive 
  • Secure Pennsylvania-grown band SNACKTIME to appear in and provide a custom track for the spot 
  • Write a voiceover-driven narrative delivered by PA-native Rob Mac that carries the story and captures the energy of this momentous year 
  • Execute a two-day shoot at Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia with both indoor and outdoor setups, maximizing location versatility within a tight production window 
  • Produce a full spot package: a hero :60 and a :30 cutdown, built to run across paid, earned and owned channels from the NFL Draft all the way through America’s 250th

THE IMPACT

  • Generated more than 14 million total impressions between March 30 and May 16 across the full campaign mix, including 5.9 million TV impressions 
  • Delivered 9.2 million video impressions for the NFL Draft and 1.3M for the PGA Championship across TV and digital video, including CTV 
  • Earned 5 million video completions, confirming the spot held audience attention from start to finish 
  • Achieved CTV completion rates of 96%–99%, with all digital video tactics performing 97–98% above benchmark across the digital mix (excluding TV)

why it matters

With more than 14 million impressions, 5 million video completions and near-perfect CTV completion rates, the “Party with the Best Fans” spot gave viewers a taste of what 2026 in Pennsylvania would feel like — and why they couldn’t miss it. For Visit PA, the campaign served as a compelling invitation for visitors to experience the state’s marquee events firsthand, showcasing the unique energy that Vault Communications captured and delivered.