Shaping demand for a sold-out holiday event.
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights is one of Atlanta Botanical Garden’s most important annual revenue drivers, with many nights already reaching capacity.
That changes the job of advertising.
The opportunity wasn’t simply to sell more tickets. It was to influence when people attended and which experiences they purchased – shifting demand toward lower-demand nights while creating more interest in higher-value ticket options.
Example Work
Giving audiences a different way to experience Garden Lights.
Creator video helped showcase specific experiences and ticket options for different audiences that were difficult to communicate through the broader event campaign.
Atlanta Botanical Garden influencer video
Using social media to influence how people attend.
Traditional media continued to build broad awareness for the event.
Social media had a more specific job: give different audiences a reason to experience Garden Lights in different ways.
Promote higher-value experiences.
Creator content showcased premium options such as VIP packages, giving the Garden a natural way to introduce higher-value experiences beyond a traditional event message.
Create reasons to visit on lower-demand nights.
Not every visitor needs a Saturday night ticket. Content highlighted different ways to experience the event, including later visits for adults and other audiences with more flexibility around when they could attend.
Let creators show the experience.
Rather than asking every creator to deliver the same campaign message, influencers shared Garden Lights through their own experiences. That produced a broader mix of useful social content while giving prospective visitors a more authentic look at what the event could be.
Give social media a specific job.
Social wasn’t simply another place to repeat the event campaign. Creator-led video allowed the Garden to communicate more specific messages about ticket options, audiences, and timing that weren’t practical in broad-reach media.
What changed
Garden Lights increased overall event revenue year over year even though attendance was effectively capped.
Growth came from stronger performance on traditionally lower-demand nights and a shift toward higher-value ticket options, including a sellout of opening weekend.
For an event already operating near capacity, the opportunity was no longer simply to generate more demand. It was to shape that demand in ways that increased the value of the existing attendance opportunity.
