Capturing the Spirit of Tulsa — CreeseWorks for Tulsa Regional Chamber & Visit Tulsa
In 2022, CreeseWorks, led by photographer and cinematographer Christopher Creese, collaborated with The Bob Dylan Center, a museum dedicated to Bob Dylan and his influence on music. This partnership aimed to honor Tulsa's rich cultural heritage through a creative fusion of music and visual art.
When a city wants to be more than a dot on the map, you have to make people feel it.
That’s exactly what the Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce and Visit Tulsa set out to do from 2022 to 2023 — and they needed imagery that didn’t just show events, but sold the experience of being there. They called CreeseWorks.
The Challenge
Tulsa’s tourism leaders had a simple but high-stakes goal:
Increase local engagement, attract visitors, and highlight the city’s cultural heartbeat through its most magnetic events — from pop-up shops and concerts to community festivals.
The imagery had to be versatile enough for print campaigns, digital ads, and social media, yet authentic enough to connect with both locals and travelers.
This wasn’t about pretty pictures. It was about building a visual identity that could move people to act — book a ticket, plan a trip, or show up to an event.
The Approach
1. Grounded Storytelling
We shot on location at Tulsa’s most vibrant cultural spots, including the Tulsa Arts District and events that drew a true cross-section of the community. Every frame was designed to feel like an invitation — not a staged ad.
2. Mobility & Agility
With a tailored mobile kit, we moved quickly from venue to venue, capturing the pulse of each event without interrupting it. Over the course of the campaign, we produced over 27 deliverables per month, each set including three distinct, campaign-ready images.
3. Strategic Composition
We created images with built-in versatility — tight crops for social media, wide shots for print spreads, and emotion-rich moments that marketing teams could instantly plug into campaigns.
The Results
In just one year, our work contributed to a refreshed visual library that fueled the Chamber’s and Visit Tulsa’s marketing.
Boosted Event Visibility: Our images became the centerpiece of promotional campaigns that drew increased foot traffic to featured events.
Strengthened City Brand: Consistent, high-quality visuals reinforced Tulsa’s image as a vibrant, culturally rich destination.
Content Longevity: The imagery was used across multiple seasons, stretching the marketing budget and maximizing ROI.
Conclusion - Why This Matters for Your Campaign
Whether you’re launching a tourism push, promoting a community event, or driving engagement for a new venue, the right visuals can do more than capture a moment — they can sell an experience before it happens.
CreeseWorks understands how to work with producers, directors, and marketing teams to deliver images that slot seamlessly into multi-platform campaigns while preserving the authenticity audiences crave.
