Visiting Lexington, Kentucky? Linger a Little Longer or “You’ll Hate To Go”

VisitLEX Tackles “Travel Regret” with Clever Campaign Against Short Stays

Travel regret is real, nearly every Lexington, Kentucky, guest will tell you. 

The same jaw-dropping Bluegrass views that famously welcome visitors to Lexington can turn bittersweet on the way home after a two-day stay because those visitors realised too late that two days just wasn’t enough.

A new spring campaign from VisitLEX—produced by longtime AOR Cornett—aims to help travelers avoid this common mistake with some seemingly disparaging copy and a precise call to action. While traditional destination marketing tends to hype up the excitement of arrival, the unconventional VisitLEX campaign warns against the potential disappointment of an early departure. 

Set over images of beautiful Lexington scenery as seen through car and plane windows, some of the misleading headlines read, “You’ll hate to go,” and “The saddest view of your life.” 

Supporting copy clarifies, “Lexington, Kentucky, is a hard place to leave. Especially when you know you’ve left so much of the city unexplored. But that’s an easily avoidable mistake. Plan a three-day getaway at VisitLEX.com.”

“Our research showed that a lot of people view Lexington as a one-hit wonder,” said VisitLEX VP of Marketing Leslie Miller. “Guests typically book visits for less than two nights to experience our bourbon, horses, or a special event. But, they inevitably fall in love with the city and the stunning landscape and wish they had more time to experience some of Lexington’s more unexpected attractions like our incredible culinary scene and creative culture.”

The campaign runs through April 27, 2025, and encompasses paid-media placements in print, digital, social, and OOH—including a contextual billboard directed at departing travelers at Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport that reads, “It’s not too late to turn back. Visitors often regret leaving too soon. Don’t make the same mistake.”

Credits

Client / VisitLEX

Mary Quinn Ramer, President

Leslie Miller, VP of Marketing

Martina Barksdale, Director of Communications

Agency / Cornett

Natalie Wilks, Account Executive

Whit Hiler, Chief Creative Officer
Ginger Smithwick, Director of Strategy

Jonathon Spalding, Creative Director

Randy Steward, Sr. Art Director

Coleman Larkin, Sr. Copywriter

Ellie Kangur, Brand Strategist

Caitlin Schile, Account Executive

Peter Cook, Dir. of Interactive Strategy

Daniel Boone, Digital Producer

Pierina Galvez, UI/Web Designer

Jonathan McLamb, Data Analytics Specialist

Chris Finnegan, VP Director of Brand Connections

Megan Dunbar, Integrated Media Specialist

Emily Reitenauer, Integrated Media Associate

Damon Vinyard, Head of Production

  Cornett, Leslie Miller, VisitLEX