Two 12-hour-plus days on location, dozens of people captured on digital media, multiple destinations visited in Michigan's Great Southwest and the unanimous support of nearly two dozen hoteliers have produced one 30-second Pure Michigan commercial that drew huge applause tonight as the first ever fall focus in the ten year history of the award-winning tourism campaign took a bow in Benton Harbor.
Voiced by the inimitable Tim Allen in that delivery we've all come to revere, the debut of the St. Joseph version of the Pure Michigan ad drew sustained applause, even after the spot was played three times in a row to the standing room only crowd at the Hilton Garden Inn on Cinema Way.
The Vice President of MEDC Travel Michigan, Dave Lorenz, was introduced to the crowd by Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council Executive Director Millicent Huminsky who was pulsing with excitement in anticipation of the big reveal following a dinner session to set the stage for the ad, which you can see by clicking the link below.
Lorenz, who is a regular visitor to our region thanks to his wife's hometown of Berrien Springs, told the crowd, "It is inspiring to see what happening not only here but all over Michigan." He cited the "abundant natural beauty, authentic destinations, and Michigan's overwhelmingly friendly people" as the spirit behind the 10-year old Pure Michigan campaign. He says the original purpose of the campaign was "to engender a sense of pride," in all of us because "we needed to be reminded we're worth fighting for."
Lorenz cited the return on investment of the popular campaign which returns $7.60 in tourist-related spending for every $1 invested in the creation of the campaign. He told the crowd, "It's great for all of us."
Chris Cannon, Creative Director for McCann in Detroit was the vision behind the St. Joe messaging, and said it all began with a workshop "to determine what makes this place special." His team toured a lot of destinations including "breathtaking beaches, the Benton Harbor Arts District, a certain golf course, and more." He called Round Barn Winery "a revelation," and downtown St. Joseph "absolutely charming." By focusing on "how a destination makes you feel," the tourism team honed in on the concept of "enjoying the moment in the ultimate sand box, and an area where you can roll the windows down on your car and smell the grapes in the vineyard, and enjoy your senses of the simple charm" of the area.
Millicent Huminsky says that "Thirty-five years ago this area was just a pass-through, or a rest stop. No one came intentionally to stay and play in the area." Now, however, "Tourism in Michigan's Great Southwest is taken seriously and creates a real economic boost." The turning point for joining the Pure Michigan effort came when members of the Shoreline Hotel/Motel Assessment Association voted unanimously to increase the 2-percent "bed tax" charged at lodging facilities for promotional purposes to 5-percent.
That vote, which Lorenz says is the first time in the history of the state that a vote was unanimous, paved the way for a $250,000 investment by the local association to be matched by Travel Michigan with another $250k to place the advertising campaign in regional markets including Detroit, Chicago and Indianapolis. At the end of the meeting tonight, after the spot was played several times, a push was made to garner additional support for 2017 to take the message to a national audience.
Reaction to the 30-second spot was overwhelmingly positive. Rick Dyer, President of Edgewater Bank called it, "Impactful. Just seeing it every day through your own eyes and then seeing it presented like that was amazing!" Deb O'Connor from KitchenAid said, "It simply brings a great deal of pride," to see our area portrayed in the way it is. Lake Michigan College Hospitality and Culinary Program Chair Chris Woodruff said, "It's beautiful! It shows us in 30-seconds all the great things that we have in this community. Just great!" Lauren Kniebes of Lazy Ballerina Winery termed it "Amazing and very heartfelt!"
Abel Abarca and his wife and business partner Jayme Cousins from the Arts District's Mason Jar diner both "wanted to cry, it was so beautiful!" Their diner was used in the commercial. Jayme said "It brought tears to my eyes, it was phenomenal, I'm excited!" Mark Whitwam from The Boulevard Inn & Bistro concurred, saying "I teared up as soon as it started, but I loved it!" St. Joseph Mayor Mike Garey said it was "amazing, especially when you see how far we have come in the last 10 to 15 years in our area — everyone is coming together to do really great things for our community!"
Mike Patel, who owns the Hilton Garden Inn as well as the Comfort Suites of Stevensville and is building the Fairfield Inn and Suites on Red Arrow Highway is President of the hotel owners assessment group. He called this "an exciting time for Southwest Michigan." He told the crowd that when they raised the fee from 2-percent to 5-percent, they had three main goals: to encourage the property owners to make the mutual decision together, to assure the ongoing success of the events being hosted by St. Joseph Today and others, and to eventually craft a localized version of the Pure Michigan campaign advertising. He told the room, "The unanimous vote shows just how united we are, and our goal is to stay on the Pure Michigan circuit for at least the next five years."
The new commercial will be released to the Pure Michigan YouTube channel next week, and it will be available online at www.Michigan.org. You, however, can see it right now by clicking the link or watching the video here: https://www.facebook.com/MoodyOnTheMarket/videos/2038275546397553/
