For The 3rd Time in 4 years, Explore Minnesota and Adventure Creative Win BEST IN BROADCAST Mercury Award from The U.S. Travel Association

 

By The Minneapolis Egotist / /

U.S. Travel Association announced recipients of the 2024 Destiny and Mercury Awards at the 40th annual ESTO conference (Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations), held August 11-13 in Columbus, Ohio. Winners were announced at a closing night awards dinner and presentation at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Repeating the successes of winning BEST IN BROADCAST in 2021 and 2022, Explore Minnesota and Adventure Creative were recognized for the third time in four years for a :30 broadcast spot, titled “The Magic of Summer,” which ran as part of the 2023 spring/summer Dream State campaign.

“The Destiny and Mercury Awards not only recognize creative achievement in destination marketing but also the outstanding effort to inspire visitation and promote travel in savvy and imaginative ways,” said Ellen Davis, U.S. Travel Executive Vice President, Business Strategy and Industry Engagement.

In a highly competitive environment in which traveler attention is fractured, storytelling that creates deep emotional resonance while still showcasing the experiences that can be had in Minnesota proves a winning combination. The integrated spring/summer campaign drove over $1 billion in visitor spending, with the campaign showing a $101 return on investment (ROI). That kind of fiscal performance is life-sustaining for tourism operators, people and companies in Minnesota.

“Instead of telling viewers and future visitors what they should do, our creative campaign used emotion to invite them to visualize the powerful vacation experience in Minnesota through another traveler’s eyes and memory. In doing so, we also made travelers aware of how they’ll be able to enjoy their favorite activities (and a lot of activities they might not have been aware of) right here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes,” said Lauren Bennett McGinty, Executive Director of Explore Minnesota, of the award-winning work.

Gina Nacey, President and Executive Creative Director of Adventure Creative elaborated on the award-winning creative concept, “We based the Dream State campaign on the core idea that there are trips and experiences that don’t just take you to new places, but transport you to what can feel like an entirely different world. There’s a real power in traveling to and around Minnesota and we wanted to tell a story that truly captured that magic.”

The winning entry can be viewed at the ESTO AWARDS GALLERY. More information about Explore Minnesota can be found at ExploreMinnesota.com and about Adventure Creative at AdventureCreative.com

Video Credits:
Agency: Adventure Creative
Video Production & Editing: Capture Film Co.
Client: Explore Minnesota

About Adventure: Adventure is a recognized B-Corporation that generates traction for active-lifestyle brands by combining human-centric science with the art of storytelling to create authentic, living brands. Adventure’s client roster features prominent international, national and regional clients including Explore Minnesota, Anheuser-Busch, State of Washington Tourism, Nickelodeon Universe, Brunswick and World View. Visit adventurecreative.com.

About Explore Minnesota: Explore Minnesota is the marketing and promotion agency for the State of Minnesota. Our mission is to support and help Minnesota’s economy grow sustainably through innovative marketing, industry partnerships and authentic storytelling, showcasing Minnesota as the premier state for travel, quality of life, and economic opportunity. Tourism is a crucial part of Minnesota’s economy with a yearly economic impact exceeding $24 billion and over 180,000 jobs generated. To learn more, visit exploreminnesota.com or find us on Instagram at @exploreminnesota.

Comments

  1. Jason Strong September 25, 2024

    Excellent work. Way to make us proud.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

`