State officials unveil revamped tourism slogan: ‘All That’
PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island is all magnificent, all fresh, caters to all lifestyles, calls all explorers – in short, it’s “all that,” as the state’s new tourism marketing campaign puts it.
Rhode Island Commerce Corp. and Gov. Dan Mckee formally launched the “All That” campaign last week after the snow storm earlier this month delayed an in-person announcement. In addition to a website refresh for visitrhodeisland.com, the campaign features six ad spots, each focusing on a different tourism draw, like the food scene or the outdoor attractions.
In a launch video, Rhode Island Commerce Chief Marketing Officer Anika Kimble-huntley explained that the state decided it needed a more unified marketing message in early 2023 after two “catch-up years” post-pandemic. RI Commerce worked with Florida-based advertising firm the Zimmerman Agency to put together three options and share them with the state’s six regional tourism councils.
Council leaders voted on their top choices, narrowing the field to two, which were then shared with potential national visitors and local residents. The “All That” campaign came up as the winner.
“It means sophisticated, confident, great possibilities and success. Rhode Island is all that,” Kimble-huntley said in the launch video.
The six ad spots are designed to show the “beauty and plethora of things to do” around the state, Kimble-huntley said, and RI Commerce worked with the six regional tourism councils to put them together. She added that the councils have agreed to incorporate “All That” to unify the state’s brand.
James Toomey, director of marketing for the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, said he and the other leaders are continuing to meet with RI Commerce about how to roll the “All That” campaign into their own marketing strategies. BVTC, for example, recently rolled out its “Serving Up Culture” campaign in its most recent destination guide, which highlights cuisines from 40 countries available in the region.
“We’ve been working hard to bring attention to the state,” Toomey said. “They have a professional team working on it. We’re just super excited to be a part of that.”
A representative for the South County Tourism Council declined to comment on the campaign other than to say that SCTC did not vote for “All That” when originally presented with the three choices.
Before Rhode Island was “all that,” it was “fun-sized” in 2018 under former RI Commerce Chief Marketing Officer Lara Salamano, and “cooler & warmer” under Salamano’s predecessor Betsy Wall. “Cooler & Warmer” was cut short when news broke that a clip filmed in Iceland had been mistakenly included in the ad spot by a subcontracted video editor.
Toomey said he thinks “All That” is set up for better success than previous campaigns because there was more involvement from the regional tourism councils.
“Anika [Kimble-huntley] is a fantastic advertiser,” he said, adding that she’s been “fighting for us.”
The six ad spots will be shown nationally across social media, digital and broadcast platforms, according to RI Commerce, and the state partnered with “The Jennifer Hudson Show” to promote the campaign and the state’s tourism offerings in general.
The partnership resulted in a six-minute segment where Hudson’s friend Walter Williams and a show staffer hit several Providence restaurants, paid a visit to Mckee at the Statehouse and toured the Rose Island Lighthouse and the Breakers in Newport. At the end of the segment, Hudson announced that the entire studio audience received $100 gift cards to spend on their own visit to the Ocean State.
Kimble-huntley hinted in the launch video that the campaign plans to release more commercials down the line. She and Mckee both emphasized the role local residents play in promoting their home state and attracting visitors.
“Tourism is one of our state’s largest economic drivers, though it’s our residents, who continue to show up offering best-in-class experiences, that propel us forward as an internationally acclaimed destination,” Mckee said in a statement. “This campaign is not only a testament to what makes Rhode Island ‘All That’ but also a testament to our community that refuses to be anything but extraordinary.”