Salt Lake City is known for its mountains, outdoor recreation and scenic trails, such as the Bonneville Shoreline.

But Visit Salt Lake is positioning the city and environs as something more — a year-round destination, rather than just a winter skiing experience. The “It’s Sweet” campaign runs on CTV, OLV, social content, digital OOH, and display throughout the U.S.

The work is directed by Jerusha Hess, co-writer and co-director of “Napoleon Dynamite.” Spots are here and here.

This is the first work by Dept since winning creative AOR in 2024. Hello Yellow is the media agency. The focus is a brand push that generates awareness for Salt Lake, which will host the 2034 Olympic Games.

“Our goal was to bring out the true personality of Salt Lake, breaking away from that polished, stock-photo vibe of most tourism ads and offering something more interesting. From the tone to the acting, to the coloring, we wanted to create something beautiful but full of personality. Even if that means embracing the imperfect moments — like the wind ruining your photo op or the nerves before hopping on a mountain coaster,” said Ro Otamendi, Dept creative director.

Outdoor adventure is minutes from downtown, which also offered cultural and culinary options. Dept centers the campaign on the city’s personality as warm and welcoming, even a bit quirky.

“Partnering with Dept brought fresh perspective and creative firepower to tell that story in a way that feels both true and unexpected. Hello Yellow has supercharged our media buying, ensuring the campaign reaches the right people with maximum impact,” said Lizzie Fillo, vice president, marketing, Visit Salt Lake.

Dept's client work has included eBay, Just Eat X Netflix, Nvidia, Coca-Cola and Tecate.