CHEYENNE – You know it’s summer travel season when you spot large magazine ads from state tourism organizations.
The latest issue of Smithsonian Magazine features a two-page ad from Illinois and a one-page ad from its neighbor to the east, Nebraska.
Illinois’s ads are traditional, with the slogan “At the Center of It All.”
Previous slogans were “Try an adventure” and “Miles of amazing roads.”
The new ads tout the city’s attractions, offering “discovery and excitement,” including tours of botanical gardens and museums and sun-soaked days on its 28 miles of lakefront.
The latter will include world-class entertainment, including live music, Michelin-starred dining and “breathtaking” architecture.
A bit over the top, but effective. What this ad doesn’t mention is the crowds and queues everywhere you go. Tourism ads never mention that. That’s not the point.
The city of Chicago, which I have always loved, is an easy sell to people in the tourism industry.
Let’s not forget that the people who come up with these ads are incredibly clever and, more importantly, creative.
They’re the type of experts who came up with the little Rhode Island slogan: “Fun-size.”
A bit of quirky humor is what makes these types of ads and slogans stand out.
That’s why Nebraska tourism officials are putting out fun ads like this one.
Nebraska is long, flat and mostly brown, with very little to brag about, so the state’s crew decided that self-deprecating was the key.
“Nebraska isn’t for everyone” is the state’s slogan, and the ad goes on to claim that some of the state’s attractions are only appealing to some residents.
That type of advertising gets attention.
Instead of boasting about Nebraska’s incredible natural beauty, it acknowledges the shortcomings of the state’s landscape in a humorous way.
Nebraska’s ad in Smithsonian magazine is similarly self-deprecating.
“Luckily for you, there’s nothing to do here,” the ad begins, before explaining that Nebraskans create their own fun.
The funny thing was that we thought that the livestock tanks could float and become “boats,” which resulted in a riverboat trip down the Nebraska River.
The advert is accompanied by a photo of a group of happy young people sitting on a floating livestock tank on a river. “It may not be everyone’s cup of tea,” it continues.
It certainly isn’t for me.
But Nebraska’s ad writers, whoever they were, made good use of the materials available to them.
Nebraska has more rivers than most other states, making it a great place for a river trip.
As a result, Nebraska has become known for a unique method of floating known as “tanking.”
Meanwhile, Wyoming is home to two national parks, beautiful mountains, and a huge, world-famous rodeo in Cheyenne.
But some states aren’t so lucky.
According to internet sources, Missouri is the state most frequently excluded from the U.S. state testing list.
Alaska has the fewest tourists.
Idaho is a beautiful state that has often been overshadowed by eastern states such as Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana. According to an online article by Business Insider, visitors to Idaho can expect affordable rentals and other accommodations.
“The Famous Potato” is Idaho’s state slogan. This was a no-brainer.
Nevada is, of course, home to Las Vegas, but it also has other tourist attractions like the Red Rock Canyons of the Mojave Desert.
“World Within. State Outside” is the slogan of the state of Nevada. I don’t know what that means.
By the way, I’m not sure what Wyoming’s slogan, “That’s WY,” means.
I loved the old “Like No Place on Earth.”
Then there was another fascinating idea that was proposed but never adopted.
It said, “Welcome to Wyoming. Now it’s time to go home.”
Contact Joan Barron at 307-632-2534 or jmbarron@bresnan.net.
