Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
Immersive Wonder
Strategy
Overview
Through a strategic, always-on digital marketing and PR program, Blue Door helped Ripley's Aquarium of Canada drive record-breaking ticket sales and membership conversions across every month of 2025.
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is one of Toronto’s most beloved year-round destinations. In 2025, Blue Door managed a full-calendar digital marketing and PR program designed to turn that awareness into measurable ticket and membership sales every month. Campaigns ran continuously across Google, Meta, Programmatic Display, and Audio, promoting general admission, annual memberships, and special experiences, including the aquarium’s adults-only evening events and limited-run exhibits. A refreshed strategy and creative system drove immediate gains across every major campaign. Annual memberships, adults-only evening events, and general admission all experienced significant year-over-year growth while paid media delivered exceptional return on investment. The program generated more than 15,000 Google conversions with a 3,094% ROAS, including annual memberships up 304%, evening events up 235%, and general admission up 96%. Alongside paid media, Blue Door ran an always-on PR program to support the aquarium’s full programming calendar. This included securing earned media, managing influencer partnerships, publishing event listings, and overseeing sponsored content. The program generated millions of earned impressions across digital outlets and social channels, increasing awareness and driving ticket sales, particularly among a more adult-leaning audience.
Scope of Work
Digital Advertising Management
Planned, launched, and continuously optimized Google, Meta, Programmatic Display, and Audio campaigns across general admission, annual memberships, and special experiences, active every month of 2025.
Creative Direction and Asset Development
Established the campaign visual language and produced platform-specific static graphics, motion banners, and short-form video, with a full creative refresh launched mid-year.
Strategy Development
Translated Ripley's business objectives into a full-funnel media roadmap with audience targets, budget allocations, and KPIs, including a refreshed strategy launched mid-2025.
Always-On Public Relations
Executed a year-round PR program supporting Ripley's full events calendar through targeted media pitching, event listings, influencer partnerships, and sponsored content.
Campaign PR Activations
Dedicated PR campaigns supported key events throughout the year, including the Taylor Swift Eras activation, Dark Waters Halloween, Family Day, March Break, and Breakfast with Santa.
Project Management and Reporting
Delivered weekly status updates and detailed monthly performance reports covering digital, PR, and design across all active programs.
Results
Earned PR Impressions
Two dedicated PR campaigns (Taylor Swift Eras activation and Dark Waters Halloween) generated a combined 9.8 million impressions, with coverage across CBC, ELLE Canada, blogTO, and Curiocity.
Google Conversions
August 2025 all-time program record, achieved at a 3,094% return on ad spend, with annual membership conversions up 304% versus the prior month.
ROAS Floor, Every Month
Google campaigns never dropped below a 1,000% return on ad spend for any single month of 2025, maintaining strong returns year-round regardless of season.
August 2025: The Strongest Digital Month in Program History
A refreshed strategy and new creative system launched in late July produced an immediate lift across every campaign. Annual memberships, adults-only evening events, and general tickets all posted their strongest month of the year simultaneously. 15,220 Google conversions at 3,094% ROAS. Annual memberships +304%, evening events +235%, general tickets +96% versus prior year.
Strong Returns, Every Month of the Year
Sustaining performance across 12 consecutive months requires constant attention. When a third-party tracking issue emerged mid-year, Blue Door shifted budget to protect overall results immediately. The program never dropped below a 1,000% return on ad spend. Peak: 3,094% in August. Floor: 1,118% in September.
High-Impact PR Coverage and Influencer Content
Dedicated PR campaigns around key moments in Ripley's calendar, including a Taylor Swift-inspired activation during the Eras Tour and the Dark Waters Halloween event, exceeded earned media and influencer targets. Taylor Swift Activation: 16 placements and 8.8 million impressions, including CBC and ELLE Canada. Dark Waters: 9 earned placements generating over 1 million impressions and 115,660 content views against a 100,000 target.
