Utah launches $2.4M ad campaign to lure adventure seekers

SALT LAKE CITY — The first thing you notice about the red Jeep Wagoneer is how it is overloaded with virtually every item an outdoor enthusiast could possibly use.

The as-yet-unnamed road trip party vehicle — carrying bicycles, water skis, golf clubs, a canoe, coolers, tents, sleeping bags and a bunch of other stuff — remains one of the centerpieces in the Utah Office of Tourism's spring and summer marketing campaign.

The $2.4 million national advertising campaign officially launched Tuesday at the Capitol.

"The campaign was so successful last summer that we decided to use the same spots again this year," Leigh von der Esch, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism, said in a news release.

The campaign includes television spots on local stations in Denver, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. In addition, cable spots will begin running nationwide this week on networks including A&E, Animal Planet, Bravo, Fox Sports, Fox News, HGTV, the History Channel, MSNBC, National Geographic and Biography.

Ads will also run online, as well as in print in targeted travel magazines.

"Last year, our non-winter campaign … generated over 800,000 visitors into our state and resulted in $56 million of additional tax revenue," Gov. Gary Herbert told the audience in the Capitol rotunda Tuesday. "So, for every dollar we've invested, we get about $18 in return."

The governor likened marketing expenditures to an investment for the state: "You put money in, and you get money back.

"We're getting a significant return on our investment, which helps pay for government services," he said. "Tourism is a great economic development program."

Von der Esch said the campaign has been successful thus far, helping the state trend upward in the number of out-of-state visitors that choose Utah has a vacation destination.

"Our messaging is resonating," she said. "Everything you want to do is so close by. You can get to the national parks so quickly. You can do five in a week. Our state parks have fabulous value and (there are also) the rodeos and the community events."

As for the Wagoneer, a spokesman for the tourism office told the Deseret News the office will offer a gift to someone who comes up with an appropriate moniker for the old-school SUV.

e-mail: jlee@desnews.com