Officials say Pure Michigan campaign generated $1.1B in tourism spending this year

Leaders of the Pure Michigan tourism campaign say the advertising has not only garnered national awards, it's also brought more than a billion tourism dollars to the state so far this year.

According to excerpts from the story:

Perhaps, acknowledged Travel Michigan's David M. Lorenz, the best indicator of the success of the Pure Michigan state tourism advertising campaign is the parodies that have popped up on YouTube. Created by the suburban Detroit office of advertising firm McCann Erickson, Pure Michigan's stunning photography and videography and evocative scripts, read by actor and Michigan native Tim Allen, have picked up a string of national awards and recognitions.

Funded by the state at $30 million for 2009, the campaign, which drives people to the Michigan.org Web site, went national over the summer with a $10 million media buy on cable networks. To obtain that funding, the state securitized some of the proceeds of the tobacco lawsuit settlement, Lorenz said The result has meant $1.1 billion for the state economy, he said.

Read the complete story here.