Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Pure Michigan

Pure Michigan is both the now nationally-known brand of the State of Michigan as well as the award-winning tourism promotion campaign launched in 2006 by Travel Michigan and the state's marketing arm, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The campaign went national in early 2009, thanks to an unprecedented state tourism budget, and in 2011 was voted one of the "Top 10 best destination brands" of all time by Forbes Magazine.

That paragraph paints the brand/campaign formal and uptight, with a singular goal of increasing state tourism revenue. And while increasing state tourism revenue is important, Pure Michigan, at least from my perspective, is about helping both Michigan residents and those who've never set foot inside the state's boundaries (re)discover the beauty Michigan has to offer.

Watch these, and then tell me that you don't at the very least want to vacation in Michigan.





And now, Pure Michigan has released city-specific commercials on a national level. Last week I was sitting at home, barely watching television and absent-mindedly sifting through Pinterest in search of science experiments for kids, when I felt the soothing Pure Michigan music and Tim Allen's gentle voice surround me. I looked up and was stunned to see our most-recent home - Ann Arbor, MI - shining brightly on my television screen.



In 34 seconds the commercial captures everything - pedestrian and bike-friendly streets and trails, unique sidewalk cafes and restaurants, outdoor art and farmers markets, street musicians, the historic University of Michigan, and four glorious (and distinct!) seasons - that makes Ann Arbor so beautifully authentic and unique.

If you're ever presented with an opportunity, visit Michigan and experience it's purity for yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed.

I did not receive compensation for writing this post. I just really love Ann Arbor, and know that you would too.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Erin - I work for Pure Michigan. Thanks for being a fan of the commercials and the campaign. Let us know if you ever decide to take a trip to Michigan. We'd be happy to make some recommendations of fun things to do and places to visit.

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  2. I live in Michigan (Metro Detroit to be exact) and we love the Pure Michigan campaign because it highlights what is so fantastic about our state. Believe me, we have battled such negative press and media that the success of this campaign has given many of us hope. I consider myself extremely lucky to live in a state with so many wonderful places to visit (which I do many times a year!) As a matter of fact, I am visiting a state park to camp on Lake Huron this weekend and I cannot wait! Thank you for hightlighting our little part of the world!

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