You know that agency-client relationship that makes everyone else wonder “How do they get away with this stuff?” Cornett and VisitLEX have one of those. And after a competitive pitch, the Lexington tourism bureau decided to keep the magic going, retaining the indie shop as its agency of record for another round. That’s 13 years of turning “absolutely not” ideas into “absolutely brilliant” campaigns.
Over the past few years, VisitLEX has achieved sustainable long-term growth for the city of Lexington. This includes reaching a record-breaking $1.7 billion in economic impact from travel in 2024 and formal recognition from Condé Nast as one its Top 5 Best Small Cities in the U.S.
“Cornett has been instrumental in getting people thinking and talking about our brand in creative ways that attract widespread attention,” states Leslie Miller, VP of Marketing for VisitLEX. “Through a long-standing partnership with Cornett, who values and appreciates what makes Lexington special, we have built a successful collaboration that benefits not just the brand but the entire community, economy and region.”
Since 2012, Cornett has been the creative force behind VisitLEX’s most effective viral moments, which have been globally praised by industry experts for their ability to showcase Lexington in unconventional ways. Each campaign reflects a longtime shared goal between VisitLEX and Cornett to shift how the world thinks of Lexington and the bureau itself. The work is also indicative of a trusting client-agency relationship that encourages bold thinking and the smart risk-taking that has elevated VisitLEX as one of the most talked-about destination brands in the world.
“Our partnership with VisitLEX has been one of our greatest success stories,” said Christy Hiler, owner and CEO of Cornett. “Sneakers for horses. A field party for aliens. Knights on the ceiling. We love the work we’ve done together, and we can’t wait to be a part of what comes next for this brand and our incredible city.”
The Greatest Hits: When Lexington Broke the Internet
Let’s be honest—most tourism campaigns make you want to take a nap. Not these. Here’s the work that made the world stop scrolling and actually pay attention to a mid-sized Kentucky city:
1. Ads Filmed by Horses (2017)
Remember when everyone was strapping GoPros to everything? Cornett went one better and let actual horses film their own commercials. Vegas Trip and Barbie Mills (yes, those were the horses’ names) wore modified dog harnesses with cameras and captured an hour of footage at Mill Ridge Farm. The $14,000 campaign generated 280,000+ views and got picked up by Ad Age, Adweek, and horse publications worldwide. As Elizabeth Ching noted in Medium, it was “advertising that didn’t feel like advertising.” Watch the behind-the-scenes | See the campaign
2. The Queen’s Gambit Hotel Room (2021)
Peak pandemic, peak Netflix, peak chess obsession. Cornett and VisitLEX transformed a room at 21c Museum Hotel into Beth Harmon’s chess-ceiling fantasy, complete with suspended pieces recreating her winning move. The timing was chef’s kiss—launching just as the show hit cultural critical mass. Ad Age called it “Cornett’s gambit pays off,” and they weren’t wrong. The $25,000 investment drove 120 booking inquiries in 24 hours and nearly 700 million impressions. Fox Business covered it, as did 150+ other outlets. Book the Harmon Room | Behind the scenes
3. The World’s First Plant-Friendly Hotel (2022)
In an era where millennials treat their plants better than themselves, Cornett created amenities for traveling foliage at Elwood Hotel & Suites. Plant tea? Check. Botanical toiletries? Obviously. NPR’s Morning Edition picked it up, CNN Travel ran with it, and Adweek perfectly captured the absurdist genius: “Miss your ficus while you’re away?” Even Drew Barrymore gave it a shout-out. See the campaign | Book your plant a room
4. Hey Aliens, Look at Lexington (2024)
They. Beamed. An. Ad. To. Space. Working with University of Kentucky scientists, the team used an infrared laser to transmit a tourism ad to the TRAPPIST-1 star system, 40 light-years away. The message included bourbon molecules (because Kentucky), bluegrass landscapes, and blues music from Tee Dee Young. The Washington Post covered it on their front page, Fast Company deemed it “so witty and so whacky that it may just break through the noise,” and the campaign generated 3+ billion impressions. That’s billion with a B. Read the full story
5. Horse Kicks Sneakers (2023)
Custom sneakers. For horses. With local artist Marcus Floyd creating four styles that horses could actually wear. The campaign delivered $103 million in advertising value and won Ad Age’s Small Agency Campaign of the Year. It also proved that sometimes the best ideas sound completely ridiculous in the pitch meeting. See the Horse Kicks
6. The Work That Didn’t Make Headlines (But Should Have)
- Travel Reviews by Horses: Used a pet psychic to capture equine travel opinions (yes, really)
- Non-Fungible Thoroughbreds: A perfectly-timed NFT satire during peak crypto madness. They actually minted and sold pixelated horses like “Man o’ Snore” and “Dream Crusher” to benefit a horse charity. See the campaign | Adweek coverage
- Neigh-SMR: Horse ASMR content featuring Hank the horse eating carrots and peppermints. Got nearly 2 million YouTube views with zero media spend. Watch the video | Adweek story
The Numbers That Matter
Here’s the thing about viral campaigns—they’re great for awards shows, but do they actually work? In this case, absolutely:
- 10 billion earned media impressions over the partnership
- $350 million in estimated advertising value
- Tourism impact grew from $1.27 billion (2021) to $1.7 billion (2024)
- 30% lift in leisure travel visitors from the “Look at Lexington” campaign
- 13% increase in hotel revenue
Why This Works
The secret isn’t really a secret. Cornett has been in Lexington for over 40 years. They get the city’s weird, wonderful mix of horses, bourbon, basketball, and surprising sophistication. They’re not trying to make Lexington something it’s not—they’re showing the world what it actually is, just through a wonderfully warped lens.
As Christy Hiler told CanvasRebel, “We believe in big, sticky ideas that generate tons of earned media.” Translation: Why spend millions on media when you can get the world talking for the price of some horse sneakers?
The partnership works because both sides embrace calculated chaos. VisitLEX doesn’t just approve wild ideas—they champion them. And Cornett doesn’t just pitch safe tourism ads—they pitch ideas that make you wonder if someone spiked the bourbon.
Thirteen years in, they’re still finding new ways to make us look at Lexington. And honestly? We can’t wait to see what absurdist masterpiece comes next. Alien horses wearing NFT sneakers, anyone?
Learn more
- Agency website: teamcornett.com
- Agency LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/cornett
- Instagram: @teamcornett
- Contact: christy@teamcornett.com
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