Great brands provide a clear value to consumers. From our destinations to our attractions to our people, Wisconsin makes finding fun easy for travelers. And we're evolving our messaging this winter to focus on our many seasonal strengths. The campaign is designed to motivate traveler spending by highlighting Wisconsin's distinctive formula of both indoor and outdoor fun.
To view elements of the fall campaign please click below on the thumbnails and links provided.
Media
The bulk of Travel Wisconsin's winter campaign kicks off in January utilizing television, radio, print, interactive, in-life and social channels. Markets include Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St.Paul and Green Bay-Appleton.
Broadcast
What happens when Hollywood director David Zucker, of classics like Airplane! and The Naked Gun, unleashes his wacky humor on the historic Riverside Theater and the renowned Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra? You get a :30 television commercial filled with something we’re quite familiar with here in Wisconsin: FUN. The Symphony Snowball fight spot is a metaphor for the fact that in Wisconsin the FUN is always in season, whether you enjoy indoor or outdoor activities, you will find something fun to do in Wisconsin this winter.
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In addition, Milwaukee-based Marcus Theatres is donating time on approximately 450 movie screens in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota to air a longer “director’s cut” of the commercial.
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A behind-the-scenes video documenting the making-of the TV spot was created. The five-minute documentary features interviews with David Zucker, Deputy Secretary of Tourism Dave Fantle and the creative team from Laughlin Constable involved with the production. The short documentary will be screened at the Wisconsin Film Festival in April in Madison.
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Radio Spot
In this light-hearted radio spot, we get to tag along with a couple as they enjoy pictures from their fun-filled day at a Ski Chalet in Northern WI. In the commercial, we come to understand that the fun doesn’t end once winter comes to Wisconsin, you can go skiing and to a spa all in one day. Just remember the cucumbers are for the eyes.
Print
Winter in Wisconsin provides numerous opportunities to have fun. And because there are so many different ways to have fun, our marketing challenge was to get this point across quickly and easily. So instead of showing a series of hundreds of things to do, we settled on a simple metaphor of a snowboarder and a ballerina to demonstrate this point.
Digital
Through an integrated digital campaign, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism is communicating the idea that fun moments of all kinds can happen indoors and out in Wisconsin. Targeted online banner ads will be a core component of the digital presence. We continue to utilize social media channels to connect with travelers via the Travel Wisconsin blog, as well as a growing Facebook & Twitter presence. In addition, search engine marketing, Facebook ads and promoted tweets on Twitter also continue to drive travelers to Travel Wisconsin’s owned media channels.
Out-of-Home
This winter, transit interiors will offer a branded experience to a captive audience of train riders on Chicago’s Red Line. The interior of the trains will be transformed into a branded experience that will appear on the ceilings as well as signage throughout the car.
Public Relations
The PR team is busy promoting all of the great events, attractions and activities Wisconsin offers throughout the winter season. We are producing topical news releases each month and pitching story ideas that celebrate and highlight Wisconsin's indoor and outdoor fun to local, regional and national media. Stemming from the buzz around the Wisconsin-shaped mitten on TravelWisconsin.com and our social media sites, we have partnered with Pure Michigan on “The Great Lakes Mitten Campaign.” The public is encouraged to donate new or gently used mittens at Wisconsin Welcome Centers, participating convention and visitors bureaus and local chambers of commerce. The mittens will be donated to local charities. We will also be conducting TV and radio interviews throughout the season in markets around the state. In addition, a group media tour is scheduled for January 23-27 in the Northwoods. It will provide an opportunity for journalists to experience the fun of a Wisconsin winter first-hand. In all, the end result from public relations efforts this season can be seen in the significant amount of publicity generated in high-visibility media outlets.