Virginia is still for lovers. The recognizable tag line, nearly 35 years old, will continue to play a role in Virginia tourism as White & Baldacci takes the helm as the commonwealth’s new ad agency.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to work with such an iconic recognizable brand in the travel industry,” said Matt White, chief executive of the Herndon ad agency.
White & Baldacci was awarded the $3.5 million annual account after a three-month review. The contract is for three years with a one-year renew option. The incumbent agency, Work Inc. in Richmond, did not participate in the review.
The Virginia Tourism Corp. will stick with its famous tag line, “Virginia is for lovers,” but expand the brand.
“We want people to understand what traveling to Virginia is all about,” said Alisa Bailey, president and chief executive of the Virginia Tourism Corp. “Whatever you love in a vacation you can find in Virginia.”
The advertising strategy will focus on everything Virginia has to offer, instead of highlighting its main attractions like Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and Virginia Beach.
“Marketing and advertising are really the lifeblood of tourism,” Ms. Bailey said.
White & Baldacci will need to extend Virginia’s shrinking ad budget as far as possible by lining up corporate partnerships and industry sponsorships.
“We did not want an agency that was just a vendor that creates ads,” Ms. Bailey said. “We wanted a [firm] that would give us a return on our investment … and extend our advertising dollars.”
All aboard
Amtrak has rolled out a new advertising campaign focusing on low fares.
It’s a different approach than usual for the struggling rail company, which has emphasized just percentage discounts in the past. Now Amtrak will promote actual low fares to specific destinations, while also highlighting the benefits of traveling by rail over other modes of transportation.
The advertising campaign broke earlier this month in six major cities including Washington. It will expand to 70 cities by the end of the month.
The campaign was created by McLean’s Arnold Worldwide, which won the Amtrak account in June.
New wins
• Thomasville Furniture Industries, a St. Louis-based furniture manufacturer, has selected the Martin Agency as its new agency of record. The Richmond ad agency will handle Thomasville’s advertising, media planning and buying and public relations. The first work from the Martin Agency is expected early next year.
• Reingold Inc., a District-based communications firm, has been awarded a $250,000 contract from the District of Columbia Department of Mental Health Services and Project DC to create a public outreach campaign aimed at building community and individual preparedness and resilience during emergencies. The goal is to prepare people for emergencies but also to help strengthen their ability to rebound from a crisis.
• Road Runner, based in Herndon, has awarded RTC Relationship Marketing in the District a multimillion-dollar direct-marketing communications account for its residential broadband unit.
• Got news? Donna De Marco can be reached at 202/636-4884. Advertising & Marketing runs every other Monday.
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