The ads touting "Utah: A pretty, great state" have finished running, but the campaign promoting the state isn't over.
The campaign, which gained high visibility during the spring and summer months, is a long way from being dead, according to N. Alan Barnes, campaign coordinator for the Utah Economic Development Corp., the organization that spent $300,000 to get Utahns feeling better about themselves and their state.In case you have been living in a cave since April when the campaign was announced, it featured posters, bumper stickers, banners, as well as television, radio and newspapers advertisements extolling the virtues of being proud of the state.
The slogan "Utah: A pretty, great state" generated negative and positive comments about the comma between "pretty" and "great" and controversy over the amount of money spent as well as questions about what the campaign was trying to accomplish.
The background for the logo was a combination of blue, light green, rose, green, light blue and tan to represent the sky, the mountains, the cities, the rivers and lakes and the desert, Barnes said.
The campaign committee is putting together an education program for public schools that aims to enhance the Utah history program by stressing the great things that have occurred in the state, Barnes said.
Also helping to develop the program are Utah Office of Education, The Utah School Boards Association and higher education officials. The group already has met four times and has scheduled more meetings to work out the details.
Barnes stressed the positive history program would be a supplement to school curricula, and it would would be emphasized in the fourth grade as well as high school and college history classes.
The coordinating committee also planning assemblies and writing contests and is working on additions the campaign posters, which have plenty of space at the bottom to advertise various events. The committee also wants to utilize large banners at various functions.
UEDC also has licensed Uphill Down Co., Sports Venture, W. B. Enterprises and Davis & Associates/Great Western Plate Co. to produce and market T-shirts, sweat shirts, hats, tank tops, drinking mugs, key rings and tote bags with the logo. Barnes said the response among native Utahns and tourists has been good and he hopes it continues for several months.
Another attempt to keep the campaign alive without spending much money is a recent letter to chief executive officers of many large Utah companies asking them to embrace the program by including the logo in company newsletters, displaying posters or banners or attaching stickers to envelopes.
"The response has been amazing," Barnes said, referring to requests that have come from all parts of the state to obtain promotion materials. In his travels, Barnes has heard people around the state talk about the program.
Barnes and the campaign committee have met all over Utah to solicit comments about the promotion and possible ways to change the logo or the thrust of the campaign. Barnes said the people "want more of the same." He said the campaign has received positive reactions from people who recently moved to Utah with their companies. Barnes said they told him Utahns should have a positive attitude about their state because it has a lot to offer.
In addition to the money spent on newspaper, radio and television advertisements, billboards and novelty items, the campaign has received thousands of dollars of free publicity through public service announcements and donated creative work.
But, perhaps the biggest boost to the campaign came in the controversy caused by the comma. Barnes said the wording was chosen so it didn't appear Utahns were so arrogant about their area by proclaiming it No. 1. "We wanted to put across a more subtle message," he said.
The campaign resulted in some variations on the slogan, including the production of lapel pins which said "Salt Lake: A great & pretty place" and "Salt Lake County: positively great."
To Barnes, such similiarities were the highest form of flattery and showed the campaign was a success because it got people talking about the good aspects of Utah.