Minnesota Tourism

Business Problem

We want to increase visits to Minnesota tourist destinations by native Minnesotans by 5%.

Brand Share

The Busy Bee

Our consumer is Mia Romsaas, a 33 year old mom from Woodbury, MN with two kids. Mia is a millennial mother with two kids aged 6 and 8. Mia is a middle-class HR manager at 3M. Mia lives a very busy life and struggles to balance family, work, and friends. Mia always loved visiting the North Shore as a kid. 

As an adult however, Mia and her partner struggle to get enough time off-work to go on vacation, with high gas prices, she and her family have been eliminating unnecessary spending in recent months.  

Mia loves her home state but staying in Minnesota never comes to mind when thinking about a romantic getaway with her partner. Why would she spend money visiting a place that is -25°?

TRUTH

TENSION

A 4 hour drive up North doesn’t sound like my ideal vacation.

Winter in Minnesota isn’t sexy

Main Idea

BEACH VACATIONS ARE SEXY, BUT WINTER GETAWAYS ARE ROMANTIC.

Creative Strategy

Take the stereotypes about sexy, sunny, faraway travel and re-contextualize them to Minnesota.

Brand partnership with Airbnb

  • Over 500 plus Airbnb rentals in Northern MN

  • Over 10,000 in state of MN (2,000+ in MPLS)

  • 8% growth in northern minnesota rentals in past year

  • Complimentary partnership that benefits both AIRBNB and MN Tourism by providing places for consumers to stay and genuine minnesota activities to do.

Print Ad: Playing on iconic ads

No beach bod required.

Print Ad: Find your perfect nowhere

Video Spot: Not So Sexy Beach Vacation

  • Starts off showing a couple on the beach for a romantic getaway. They finally sit down in their chairs and close their eyes to relax

  • One of them is hit in the head with a foam football. Cut to a bunch of typical “frat guys” on the beach doing typical frat guy activities (throwing a football around, shotgunning beers, blasting music, etc.)

  • We see more beach party activities and the couple then looks at one another, irritated and confused by the noise and lack of relaxation

  • Cut to a birds eye view of a crowded beach party with the couple in the middle trying to relax. Caption: “Beach vacations aren’t always sexy. Visit Minnesota.”