Huntsville Botanical Garden
Galaxy of Lights is Huntsville’s most beloved holiday tradition—a dazzling, nostalgia-filled winter experience now celebrating its 30th anniversary. Each year, the Huntsville Botanical Garden transforms into a whimsical world of twinkling lights, faux snow, and festive music. Guests can wander through Walking Nights with new and classic installations, enjoy themed nights like Dog Nights, or take in the glow from their car during Driving Nights. Ranked the No. 2 Botanical Garden Holiday Lights display in the nation by USA Today’s 10 Best and drawing more than 60,000 visitors last year, Galaxy of Lights continues to grow, creating joyful moments for guests of every age.
As Galaxy of Lights entered its 30th year, it remained a beloved holiday staple for families across Huntsville and beyond. But with more seasonal events competing for attention—and many locals having attended for years—the challenge was keeping the experience fresh and top of mind. The focus needed to be on what set Galaxy apart: its blend of timeless traditions and ever-evolving, cutting-edge displays.
It was also crucial to clearly communicate the event’s flexibility. With both walking and driving nights, guests needed to understand their options so they could choose the experience that fit their schedule, comfort level, and holiday vibe. Striking the right balance between nostalgia and innovation, and between tradition and choice, was essential to ensuring Galaxy of Lights remained the must-see event of the season.
To keep Galaxy of Lights fresh and top-of-mind each year, we developed a strategic campaign and messaging framework that blended nostalgia with new ideas. This gave the Garden clear direction while introducing creative ways to elevate the experience and engage audiences across every channel. Working closely with the Garden’s team, Red Sage ensured the campaign appealed to longtime fans and first-time visitors alike.
From concept through execution, we delivered a cohesive, multi-channel strategy spanning social and digital advertising, branded signage, video news releases, and custom photo and video shoots. Every asset was crafted to capture the magic of Galaxy of Lights—building anticipation, showcasing what was new, and helping guests enjoy the event in whatever way suited them best.
The 2024 Galaxy of Lights campaign didn’t just meet expectations—it outperformed them across nearly every metric. Walking Nights reached 105.9% of the attendance goal, concession sales hit 162.8%, and bulk ticket sales climbed to 155%, showing the combined strength of the event and a tightly executed multi-channel strategy.
Digital performance soared past industry norms. Video ads delivered 459,000+ impressions, 186,000+ view-throughs, and a 51.36% VTR (vs. the 19.5% benchmark). Search ads generated 11,988 impressions, 3,917 clicks, and a 32.67% CTR (far above the 4.68% average). Social ads added 235,528 impressions with a 2.93% CTR—triple the typical benchmark—while brand awareness ads reached 526,150 people at a frequency of 2.88, keeping Galaxy of Lights top-of-mind all season. Together, these results highlight the impact of a focused, well-branded campaign that blended strong storytelling, smart targeting, and engaging creative to drive both attendance and affinity.
