Campaign by CNP of Winter Haven Invites Passersby to Stop Wondering and Stop in to Pet a "Wild Mustang," Get up Close to "Touchable Time Machines" and Take to the Air in a Flying Museum that Never Gathers Dust

POLK CITY, Fla. (Dec. 21, 2012) – Countless cars zoom past Fantasy of Flight’s iconic plane beneath the attraction’s digital reader board on the side of I-4 between Orlando and Tampa each day, yet many have never taken the time to see what the aviation attraction is all about. Fantasy of Flight, in partnership with marketing agency Clark/Nikdel/Powell (CNP) in Winter Haven, aims to inspire those passersby as well as Polk County locals and Central Florida visitors to stop wondering and stop in to experience firsthand the authentic thrills, chills and adrenaline rushes that only the home of The World’s Greatest Aircraft Collection™ can provide.

The marketing campaign consists of billboards, print ads, radio and TV commercials and internet banner ads and is now hitting the Central Florida and Tampa markets for six weeks through the holiday season and will pick up again in 2013.

The campaign is built upon the philosophy of Kermit Weeks, founder and owner of Fantasy of Flight, whose mission is to inspire his visitors to overcome obstacles and fears and realize their dreams, whatever they may be. Through his aircraft collection, guided tours, interactive exhibits and new outdoor attraction, Wing WalkAir Ropes Course & Zip Line, he strives to share with all those who visit the sense of freedom and clarity that flight has provided him from the time he was a child.

The “Flight Plan” campaign consists of numbered messages designed to appeal to the curiosity and sense of adventure in potential visitors such as, “Flight Plan #7: Pet a Wild Mustang,” featuring Fantasy of Flight’s P-51 Mustang airplane named Ina the Macon Belle. Flight Plan #9 invites thrill seekers to “Take the Convertible” by taking a ride in an authentic World War II biplane, operated by Waldo Wright’s Flying Service. It even offers a tip for getting the kids on board – tell them it’s the “world’s first mobile interactive experience.” In Flight Plan #11, guests are invited to test their courage and experience a “jolt of adrenaline” as they “Walk on Air” at Wing WalkAir, Fantasy of Flight’s new thrilling outdoor attraction featuring a 600-foot zip line suspended four stories above water and a three-level ropes course complete with 33 midair challenges as high as 45 feet. Flight Plan #3 offers a new perspective: getting up close with a “touchable time machine” such as the B-17 Flying Fortress and to “Relive the Glory Days” when these magnificent machines filled the sky. More “Flight Plans” will be revealed in 2013. Through the new campaign, those who may have thought Fantasy of Flight was simply a history museum will find that there’s no dust gathering on the wings of these fully restored, working condition aircraft.

CNP has been serving the Central Florida area since 1991 with clients including Visit Central Florida, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union and Lakeland Electric. Fantasy of Flight was eager to work with the agency for its experience in attracting global visitors to Polk County and its surrounding attractions, including Bok Tower Gardens and the former Cypress Gardens.

“We are excited to roll out this new campaign as it hit the airwaves, print publications and billboards,” said Kim Long, General Manager of Fantasy of Flight.

“The ads truly capture the sense of excitement, adventure and inspiration that is alive at Fantasy of Flight every day and convey that we’re not a museum for retired airplanes but an attraction full of hands-on experiences where dreams really do take flight.”

Members of the Clark Nikdel Powell team were inspired by what they experienced at Fantasy of Flight during their discovery process.

“When we first began meeting with Kim and exploring the treasures at Fantasy of Flight, it became clear to us that it is one of the best kept secrets in Central Florida. Naturally, that needed to change,” said Chris Nikdel, Partner and Creative Director at CNP. “The goal of the campaign became to raise awareness – to put the attraction on the maps of Central Florida tourists and also to educate local folks about this under-appreciated gem.”

As for their new partnership with Fantasy of Flight, Nikdel said “The opportunity to work with Fantasy of Flight has been one of the highlights of the year. In creating, the new ‘Flight Plan’ campaign, we’ve been able to apply many of our disciplines – from creative development to web strategies to media planning and buying. It has truly been an agency-wide effort.”