The Reno-Tahoe area has been undergoing significant change and growth since the Great Recession. And now regional tourism officials are hoping a new multi-million dollar brand campaign can help keep the momentum going.
Reno Public Radio’s Noah Glick reports.
Ambition. Grit. Adventure. These are all themes that make up the new Reno-Tahoe brand, called “Great Contrast.” It’s all part of a $4.4 million campaign funded by the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, which tourism officials hope will bring more—and younger—people to the area.
Jennifer Cunningham is the Executive Vice President of the RSCVA. She says this new messaging is more than just a flashy logo. It’s backed up by research into the coveted millennial audience.
“They like excitement. They’re kind of like adrenaline junkies,” Cunningham says. “They just like something new and different and exciting all the time. And I think with the diversity of our destination, we can deliver on that.”
Designed and presented by Milwaukee, Wis.-based advertising agency BVK, the new brand focuses on the contrast between the rugged outdoor beauty of Lake Tahoe and the gritty, urban core of Reno.
But what does gritty really mean and is that a good thing? Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve thinks so.
“There was this negative connotation with Reno, right? And that’s some of the reason why actually people like to come to this region,” she says. “People have said, ‘I like the grit that Reno has to offer.’ So we’re still trying to embrace that.”
The campaign also uses art and photography featuring work from local muralist, Joe C. Rock. Having lived here for more than 20 years, he says he’s excited to help his city’s art scene get more recognition.
“We have incredible artwork from people all over the world and some really great-named artists that live here,” he says. “And so we have a lot going on that people don’t know about.”
The marketing effort, which includes billboards, digital ads, and radio and television spots is set to begin running in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Seattle this year.
View more of the new campaign below:
