Smith Rock just one of ‘7 Wonders of Oregon’
The Oregon Tourism Commission, which does business as Travel Oregon, is launching a spring marketing campaign titled “The 7 Wonders of Oregon.”
The nearly $3 million program, which runs from March 2 through August 4, features seven iconic natural wonders of Oregon as the focus of destination travel: the Oregon Coast, Mt. Hood, the Columbia River Gorge, Crater Lake, the Painted Hills, the Wallowas and Central Oregon’s Smith Rock.
“The Central Oregon Visitors Association is excited to partner with Travel Oregon and its 7 Wonders of Oregon campaign,” said Alana Hughson, chief executive officer of COVA. “Not only is the campaign a stunning testament to our great state, the timing of the campaign perfectly leverages and expands upon COVA’s initiatives to bring travelers to Central Oregon.”
The 7 Wonders of Oregon will be the most comprehensive marketing campaign Travel Oregon has ever produced, with a larger media investment, more creative executions and a greater presence across the organization’s marketing channels, from advertising to public relations to digital and social media.
“Tourism is a primary driver of Oregon’s economy” said Todd Davidson, CEO of Travel Oregon. “Travel spending in Oregon totaled $9.6 billion in 2013, which directly supported nearly 94,000 jobs. And Travel Oregon’s advertising contributes to the economic vitality of travel and tourism by generating $193 in new visitor spending for every $1 invested in our domestic campaigns.
“With this campaign, we aim to again inspire active travelers looking for authentic travel experiences. By highlighting the stunning scenery and epic adventures that Oregon offers, we will motivate these explorers to choose Oregon as their vacation destination.”
The campaign will launch with a 60-second anthem spot featuring all 7 Wonders of Oregon; the spot will air in cinemas and on television in the key markets of Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Boise and Vancouver, B.C. Additional 30-second spots will showcase the unique experiences to explore around each individual wonder.
The broadcast and cinema spots will be enhanced by a fully integrated digital, social, search and public relations campaign, ensuring the message will inspire the active explorer target audience at a time when they are most receptive to hearing it.
The overall objectives of the 7 Wonders campaign are to inspire people to consider Oregon as a prime travel destination and encourage travel exploration throughout the entire state. Visitors will be invited to share their photos on Instagram using the hashtag #traveloregon. The best of these images will be showcased on Travel Oregon content channels to inspire others long after the paid media portion of the campaign concludes.
This fully integrated program will include not only trip inspiration, but also useful trip planning tools and resources on TravelOregon.com, such as suggested itineraries, links to purchase airline tickets and special deals on adventure travel packages.
The public relations and consumer engagement elements of the campaign will include an influencer tour, targeted media outreach, a program to surprise and delight visitors, and a Facebook sweepstakes to drive visibility and fan acquisition.
The production was carried out by a crew of 15 people shooting for 14 days straight and driving more than 3,000 miles across Oregon, often camping along the way. The individuals featured in the campaign are all Oregonians with a genuine passion for the wonders they are representing.
The videos were directed by Portlanders Christian Sorenson Hansen and photographer Chantal Anderson. The 60-second anthem includes music by Bryan John Appleby and the 30-second spots include original scores by Eric D. Johnson of the Portland band The Fruit Bats, supervised by local music house Marmoset.
Along with Wieden+Kennedy, Travel Oregon worked with a team of agencies to bring this campaign to life, including LANE, MediAmerica, Spark loft and Substance. Title sponsors include Alaska Airlines and The Clymb.
Travel partners for 7 Wonders of Oregon include the Central Oregon Visitors Association, the Oregon Coast Visitors Association and Greater Portland, Mt. Hood / Columbia River Gorge Region.
About Travel Oregon
The Oregon Tourism Commission, doing business as Travel Oregon, provides information, resources and trip planning tools that communicate the exceptional qualities of Oregon, inspire travel and enhance visitors’ experiences. The commission aims to improve Oregonians’ quality of life by strengthening the economic impact of the state’s $9.6 billion tourism industry, which employs nearly 94,000 Oregonians. For more information, please visit www.TravelOregon.com
