Bringing the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park Experience to Life
We firmly believe that good design and effective marketing are, at their heart, about stories: solving a problem, meeting a challenge, inventing a new way of doing things. In this series, we’re looking back at some memorable projects for great clients and, in doing so, telling our own story.
In this piece, we talk to Jared Martin, the exceedingly friendly and thoughtful Marketing Manager for the legendary Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. This North Vancouver destination has amazed visitors since 1889, when the star attraction was little more than a footbridge of hemp rope and cedar planks. The Park’s come a long way since then, thanks in large part to the vision and entrepreneurial spirit of owner Nancy Stibbard. Working closely with the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park team, we launched a new website, complete with branded photography and videography, in 2022.
A Streamlined and Stunning Web Presence
When the team from Capilano Suspension Bridge Park came to us, their existing website was performing well, but they knew it could be even more effective. “We envisioned a mobile-friendly site that would be cleaner and more efficient,” Jared explains, “and we needed to integrate a new online ticketing system that would make the purchasing process effortless.”
What’s more, while Capilano Suspension Bridge Park had an extensive library of images and video, these lacked a cohesive look and feel. “When our content appears in magazines, advertisements, and other media, we want people to recognize us immediately and think, ‘That’s Capilano,’” Jared says.
In addition to these goals, we set out to showcase the Park’s full offering—there’s the Suspension Bridge, of course, but also plenty of other attractions and activities. We also wanted to bring clarity to the guest experience, showing prospective guests exactly what to expect (and eagerly anticipate).
With these goals in mind, we got to work.
Collaborating High Above the Canyon
As some of our team members worked on building the new website—coding it, designing its pages, crafting content—others were busy planning a photoshoot that would authentically capture the Park in all its stunning beauty.
The shoot was a deeply collaborative effort. The Capilano team shared their vision for the visuals and prepared the Park for its day in the spotlight, making sure every detail was just right. Geneva Bazin, Leap’s Project Coordinator, created a detailed shot list and schedule, booked models, and ensured the photoshoot went off without a hitch. We partnered with two incredible talents, photographer Jeremy Koreski and videographer Dave Wallace, and relied on the art direction of Leap’s Creative and Web Director, Neil Tran, to pull everything together.
“The day of the photoshoot was a great experience because everyone worked really well together from the very beginning. We were all clearly on the same page,” Jared says. “Jeremy’s really keen on the outdoors, and his visual eye was critical. Dave was able to capture video that felt perfectly in sync with the photography. Neil and Geneva’s vision and efficiency were so helpful for us. It made it easy for us to focus on our part, and the day of the shoot, we all hit the ground running.”
An Authentic Brand Experience
After months of hard work, we launched Capilano Suspension Bridge Park’s new website (you can read more about that process here). Through its strong storytelling and captivating visuals, the site showcases the Park’s value and incredible beauty while driving traffic to the tickets page.
“Guests routinely tell us that we have a beautiful website,” Jared says. And it’s not just the guests who feel inspired. “When we unveiled the site to our whole team, people kept saying, ‘This is us. This is beautiful, this site has such a graceful flow.’ We’re a close-knit team and having internal buy-in was very important to us.”
A Sparkling Future
So what’s next for Capilano Suspension Bridge Park?
The Capilano team may have a striking new website, but they’ve already set their sights on new goals. “We like to reinvest in areas of the Park,” Jared says, “making the experience better and better. So right now we’re giving a refresh to the flow of the Park, making more room for guest traffic.”
Their team is also already preparing for popular events later in the year such as Canyon Lights, when the Park transforms into a magical, light-filled winter wonderland. “Our events team is always planning ahead, working on creating exciting new experiences with every season. We want to wow visitors and give local residents reasons to come back during the year using their annual pass,” Jared adds.
We’re hoping to return before long, too. Working with the dedicated Capilano team was a true highlight of 2022, and it was made even better by the opportunity to walk among the rainforest canopy, experience cliff-side thrills, and take in awe-inspiring views from the famous suspension bridge.