Multicultural Campaign Garners National Exposure at NAACP National Convention, Macy’s Music Festival

Ohio’s new “Livin’ for the Weekend” campaign capitalized on national audiences and media in Cincinnati this year for the NAACP National Convention (July 12-17) and Macy’s Music Festival (July 25-26). Governor Strickland and Lt. Governor Fisher both addressed the NAACP convention delegates to welcome them to Ohio. And throughout the convention, the crowd of 10,000 visitors, including U.S. Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, received a taste of Ohio’s multicultural marketing efforts through a series of message points including: “Livin’ for the Weekend” commercial played on the big screen during the NAACP convention welcome, on the big screen in Fountain Square repeatedly and in guest rooms in convention hotels; a two-page ad was placed in the Cincinnati Herald to welcome guests to Ohio and introduce them to Ohio’s multicultural tourism offerings; and numerous interviews by Lt. Governor Lee Fisher and Asst. State Tourism Director Alicia Reece were conducted with national news outlets including the Tom Joyner radio program, Lincoln Ware radio program and numerous local television and print outlets. Additionally, each convention attendee received on of the new Ohio multicultural event guides in their welcome bags.

"Livin’ for the Weekend" also had an impressive presence at the Macy’s Music Festival where more than 30,000 people turned out for the two-day music extravaganza. The Division, in partnership with the Ohio Lottery Commission and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, hosted the “Ohio Livin’ for the Weekend Lounge” at the Music Festival in Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium. Lounge visitors were able to try their luck at the Lottery’s “Spin-and-Win” wheel and to vie for Ohio getaway prizes. In addition, the “Livin’ for the Weekend” TV commercial was shown on the stadium’s Jumbotron and music festival attendees all received copies of the Multicultural Events Guide.

Many thanks to all our partners in these events for helping us make an outstanding impact with the multicultural program! Special thanks to the Cincinnati USA CVB, Cincinnati RTN, Lottery Commission, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Cincinnati Herald, Great Lakes Publishing, Cincinnati NAACP chapter, Bob Bedinghaus of the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Santangelo with the Macy’s Music Festival. For more photos of the events, please click here.

(Photo Caption: Above--Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, Assistant State Tourism Director Alicia Reece and State Tourism Director Amir Eylon; Below--Festival attendees gather in the Ohio Tourism Division's lounge at the Macy's Music Festival)