VisitNorwich (part of Norwich Business Improvement District) wanted to increase awareness of the incredible experiences the city offers, drive overnight stays, and boost traffic to visitnorwich.co.uk. The campaign needed to target spontaneous, adventurous pre-nesters, seeking experiences, ease of travel, shareability, and a sense of discovery.
“We wanted something really powerful,” Visit Norwich’s Mel March told BBC Radio Norfolk when the campaign launched in autumn 2025. “We wanted to pull out all the things that make Norwich so wonderful. Norwich wears medieval really well, but it’s complemented by contemporary … You’ve got the Norman castle at one end, and the Norman Foster at the Sainsbury Centre at the other.”
In with the old, in with the new
Following on from a broader campaign, the VisitNorwich team wanted to focus on the content pillar of “Old meets now”. They asked for a striking and memorable campaign heading and supporting copy for video, social posts, and ads.
I landed on the campaign heading of “Old city, new attitude” to encompass the curious contradictions this medieval gem has to offer. It provided a broad scope to cover the range of businesses Norwich BID serves, while ending on a sense of newness, something to discover, and a personality that could flex to suit as required.
Scroll-stopping stories at every touchpoint
The supporting copy – particularly for the longer-form video script – aimed to bring this claim to life, adding a punchy sense of playfulness and packing in as many of Norwich’s unexpected hotspots as possible.
In 2019, Norwich declared itself the City of Stories, so storytelling at its most simple is key here, particularly in small spaces like banner ads. These act as tantalising snapshots into the wider visitor landscape, reflecting the “old city, new attitude” mantra through striking visuals and bold statements.
The campaign reached 300,000 people within its first week, with 65,000 organic hits on Instagram alone, with 8,500 click-throughs.
A vital extension to the team
I’ve worked with VisitNorwich and Norwich BID on a number of projects now, so it was really lovely to receive these kind words from Daisy Hovey, Acting Head of Marketing, Norwich Business Improvement District (BID):
“At the Business Improvement District, our work spans a diverse range of initiatives – from night safety campaigns and supporting local businesses, to driving inward investment and promoting tourism. Working across the breadth of our portfolio, Sarah has deftly navigated each area with exceptional skill and dedication. She takes the time to truly understand and interrogate the aims and objectives and is able to offer elegant linguistic solutions to complex topics. Sarah brings clarity, energy, and a proactive spirit that has made her a vital extension to our team.”
Want a healthy dose of clarity, energy, and proactive spirit on your team?