I swear. The state spends $90,000 for research and testing, and what results after, naturally, a "brainstorming session," is a spiffy new slogan that's supposed to get tourists to flock here: Indiana: Restart Your Engines. And these people actually believe this:
“We did a tremendous amount of research with potential tourists and residents,” said Amy Vaughan, IOTD director. “While motor sports are clearly identified with Indiana, this new brand means we can take advantage of our heritage, but also use the reference to rejuvenation. It gives us a great deal of flexibility.”
According to in-depth studies, “Restart Your Engines” was a clear winner, with 60 percent of those surveyed already identifying it with Indiana. The new brand will be used in advertising campaigns targeted for both Hoosiers and visitors to the state.
“Restart Your Engines is the type of slogan we need to create a buzz about Indiana again,” said John Livengood, CEO for the Restaurant and Hospitality Association of Indiana. “It makes sense to capitalize on our existing good reputation hosting motor sports activities, while also communicating our destination sites' abilities to recharge visitors' minds, bodies and spirits.”
Now, "Restart Your Engines" might be a wonderful slogan for the city of Indianapols, but is the entrire state really thought of in terms of auto racing? Just look at the four sample TV commercials in the link above. Only the one for Indy makes a specific reference to racing. The other three are just generic "it's time to get out of the house and have fun" spots and could be about anyplace, except for the advice to go to Indiana.com. I don't think 15-second spots advising people to "recharge and rewind" are going to get them running to the travel agent.
Lame, lame, lame. If they're looking for a "buzz," I don't think this is it. Of course, most of the ideas other people came up with aren't that great, either.
Comments
Ninety grand for THAT?
Are they kidding?
(Man, I"m in the WRONG line of work!!)
With the rising gas prices (again), a better slogan might be:
"Come to Indiana and visit US...WE'RE not going anywhere".
And THAT my friends did NOT cost ANYONE 90 grand....trust me!
;)
B.G.
Are you going to attend the NACS candidate forum tonight at Carroll HS, 7 PM?
What the Daniels Administration seems to be oblivious to is that if you simply lower the personal income tax rate and/or the corporate tax rates, you won't need a slogan. Companies will become eager to relocate here and create jobs.
Good thing people elected Republicans to dominate our statewide government. It really ensured eliminating wasteful spending, didn't it?
This slogan would be a loser on 'The Apprentice.'
"Restart" is an awkward word that weakens the phrase. If the ad agency couldn't find a way to make "Start Your Engines!" work, they should have moved on to something more creative. I think a lot of Hoosiers will react to "Restart your engines" as flatly as a badly told joke.
A slogan should not require further explanation to elicit the desired reaction. When state officials found themselves repeatedly having to explain that it stood for "rejuvenation" (also a poor word choice with too many unflattering associations), you'd think somebody would have recognized the slogan could not stand on its own.
Besides, to whom is the exhortation "Restart your engines!" directed? It only makes sense if the phrase speaks to some group inside Indiana. So who has conked out engines that need restarting?
Middle class Hoosiers don't. They have been besieged by employer bankruptcies, ruinous lay-offs, bad debts that were once earned benefits and retirements, 40-year-old wage offers, and involuntary underemployment. It's clear most Hoosiers don't have much to say about "restarting" their economy although they'd love to see it.
On the other hand, I can't imagine Indiana businesses thrilled about being told to restart their engines. (Sounds a bit like Norma Desmond planning her comeback.) Most businesses who need to participate in energizing Indiana's floundered economy would probably prefer a more positive way of putting the challenge.
It's just another petty way for the Daniels administration to continue sniping at previous Democratic governors. There is no other explanation why anyone would select such a ridiculous phrase for a tourism slogan. "Enjoy Indiana" isn't very exciting, but at least it doesn't need explanation - and it has some meaning outside of the Indy 500 Speedway. Okay, there were some changes that voters wanted which is why they voted in Daniels. That's fine. But not EVERYTHING that happened prior to MMM was bad, and changing stuff from BORING to BAD is not worth $90K of our tax money.