Tourism Award

[Karried]

Sometimes it is good to highlight the positives of our state:


OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department's marketing program has been judged the best in the nation by the Travel Industry Association of America.

The department received the association's Mercury Award on Tuesday for "best overall tourism marketing program" during the Educational Seminar for State Travel Organizations in Coeur D'Anlene, Idaho.

It was the fourth time since 1994 Oklahoma’s tourism marketing efforts have been recognized as the best in the nation by the Travel Industry Association of America.

“Our remarkable campaign and marketing efforts are evidence of the progress we can make with strong collaboration among government entities and the private sector,” said Robb Gray, executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.

The Mercury Award was for the department’s 2004 marketing campaign that featured the “OklaModern” television, magazine and Internet ads. The goal of the campaign was to show a combination of the state’s urban, rural and outdoor tourist attractions in a progressive and modern light.

“The Mercury Award doesn’t just recognize the creativity and beauty of our campaign, but it also speaks to dramatic results," Gray said.

Responses by prospective travelers increased 44 percent last year during the "OklaModern" campaign. Responses this year increased another 18 percent.





"This campaign is a workhorse for our state – improving our image and bringing travelers who generate revenue throughout the economy," he said. "We love to win awards, but more importantly we want a marketing program that works. This one does both.”

[jbrown84]

Great news. I think they do an excellent job with the Oklahoma tourism marketing. Unfortunately OKCCVB does a crap job. I'm embarassed to even send anyone to their awful website.

[floater]

Good ol' Ackerman McQueen of OKC produced the ads. Their images never cease to awe me. That's so great -- that the ads are producing such a response. Even better is that Oklahoma is developing a better product to market, to back up those ads. It's filling in people's perceptions of the state with positives, better than the blank most had a few years ago.

Remembering those Native America ads of the 90s still make the hairs at the back of my neck raise.

To see the ads, go to:

http://www.am.com/am_content.html

Click on "OKTourism - Oklamodern"
Click on "View Spot" to this :30 spot on Tulsa
or
Click on "More from this Client" to see other spots and print ads done by AM for the state tourism department
Click on "OKTourism - Oklamodern :60" to see a spot on OKC