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06/03/2006New state ad blitz is 'Pure' and not 'True'Initial message was seen as too biased toward regionMACKINAC ISLAND — Some dubbed it the best advertising campaign no one will ever see. State tourism officials "tweaked" a new tourism campaign by dumping an earlier "True North" theme in favor of a "Pure Michigan" message they say will do a better job of promoting travel throughout Michigan. "True North" was the theme of a prototype ad blitz created by the national marketing firm McCann Erickson for the Travel Michigan state agency. It's part of a $15 million advertising campaign in the Midwest over the next two years to promote Michigan tourism. The message was well-received by the tourism industry — and earned a standing ovation during a showing Friday at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference. But state officials worried its message was too exclusive to northern Michigan at the expense of tourism attractions throughout the state. "Our mission is to promote the entire state," said George Zimmermann, vice president of Travel Michigan. "That (advertising) campaign is in Milwaukee right now, and we are not 'True North' to them." The new "Pure Michigan" theme is doing well with test audiences, he said. A local tourism official said while the "True North" message was effective, he understood why the state made the change. "Personally, I liked the sound of the 'True North' campaign," said Brad VanDommelen, head of the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau. "But I can certainly see where other parts of the state could have a problem with it." See related stories:
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