National park rated as 'most disappointing tourist attraction' has the most epic comeback to the bad review

Traditional advertising typically focuses on glamorizing products and showcasing their best features. However, with increasing competition and fresh creative talent, marketing has become wittier. The social media team at Mammoth Cave National Park embraced this shift, responding to negative visitor reviews by using “anti-advertising.”

Just three days before its 108th anniversary, the park shared a short Facebook ad that quickly impressed thousands. Instead of painting a rosy picture, the ad went on to proclaim that “a world of regret awaits (visitors) at Mammoth Cave!”

Anti-advertising is a technique of advertising that uses self-deprecating humor, parody, and irony to lure customers to buy the product or service. Just a few months before the park adopted the unconventional approach, VisitOslo used the same technique and presented the unique offerings of Norway's capital city of Oslo wrapped in deadpan humor.

Nestled in the heart of Kentucky, the Mammoth Cave National Park welcomes visitors with lush green farms, rolling hills, deep river valleys, giant boulders, and wooded trails. Known as the “world’s longest cave system,” the park is home to thousands of years of human history and a vibrant variety of plant and animal life. But when the park’s staff noticed that some people weren’t enjoying the visit as much as they anticipated, they wrote, “Come experience what has disappointed millions of people for over 225 years!”

“Mammoth Cave National Park recently rated as one of the ‘most disappointing U.S. tourist attractions,’” the ad read. The copywriter went on to reveal some of its highlights contrasting them with the bad reviews and wrote, “While we think the world’s longest cave system and over 4,000 years of human history is AMAZING, others find that the cave is ‘very dark’ and there is ‘nothing cool’ here to see.” Given that a cave is supposed to be dark, the national park ironically offered lantern tours to the visitors.

The ad then invited people to visit the park in case they wanted to experience disappointment and unfulfillment. “You can be disappointed by a ‘dry hole with very few stalagmites and stalactites’ or discover nothing ‘other than trees on over 80+ miles of hiking, biking, horseback riding, and water trails,” it read.

Encapsulated by hardwood forests, the park has been hailed as a “UNESCO World Heritage Site,” an “International Biosphere Reserve,” and an “International Dark Sky Park.” However, the writer warned people that during their visit, they could encounter “bugs in the outdoors,” “spotty cellular service,” or “stairs on some of the cave tours.” Lastly, they offered to provide a totally “non-enjoyable trip” to all those who signed up for the tour reservation, and ended the post with “#JustAnotherCavePark.”

The witty ad prompted appreciation and equally hilarious comments from users such as Morgen Tolentino, who commented, “This marketing was very demure! Bravo!” Mary Duke said, “Your social media manager deserves a raise.” Natashia Brienne called it the “best advertisement ever.” Erica Lang said, “I have been disappointed many times now. You’d think I would just stop going, but I can’t resist the bugs outdoors.” Patty Lanious and several others suggested that the phrase “A world of regret awaits you at Mammoth Cave!” should be put on the park’s merchandise tee shirts.