MARYLAND’S NEW TOURISM AD CAMPAIGN INVITES VISITORS TO BE ‘OPEN FOR IT’
Campaign aims to boost overnight stays, showcases the state’s water and culinary experiences
BALTIMORE, MD (April 17, 2019) – The Maryland Department of Commerce’s Office of Tourism has unveiled a new ad campaign built around the tagline ‘Maryland – Open For It.’The campaign encourages prospective visitors to stay overnight and enjoy a range of the state’s water and culinary-based experiences, including sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, fishing in Western Maryland, eating the state’s famed steamed crabs, and visiting the beaches of Ocean City. Multiple versions of ‘Maryland – Open for It’ began running this week on television and will continue throughout the spring.
Targeted markets include the New York metro area, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. The campaign also includes print advertising in national and regional magazines, as well as companion radio, digital and social media campaigns. The campaign was designed to leverage the state’s established business marketing campaign ‘Open for Business.’
“Our administration is proud to introduce this vibrant new tourism campaign, which speaks to the many wonderful experiences and unique destinations that make Maryland so special,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Maryland welcomed more than 41 million people in 2017, and we look forward to this campaign driving even more visitors to our great state.”
“Commerce’s ‘Open For Business’ tagline aligns perfectly with this new tourism campaign, and together they work to promote Maryland as a great place to live, work and visit,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz. “As we continue to target specific markets for our advertising, we are seeing some impressive results. Over the last year, visitors from New York are up 10 percent, with visitors from Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. increasing four and three percent, respectively.”
‘Open For It’ was developed over the past 18 months by the Tourism Office’s agency of record – Columbia, Maryland-based Marriner Marketing Communications.
“Maryland packs so many cultural, culinary, and water-related experiences into one truly unique place,” said Chris Just, Marriner Marketing Communications vice president and creative director. “This campaign we formulated is meant to be a call, a wish, an invitation to Maryland for all who are open for an unforgettable vacation.”
About Maryland Tourism
The Maryland Office of Tourism is an agency of the Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts within the Maryland Department of Commerce. Visitors to the state spent $17.7 billion on travel-related expenses in 2017. The Maryland tourism industry also generated $2.4 billion in state and local taxes, and provided Marylanders with more than 149,000 jobs with a payroll of $6.3 billion. For more information, go to www.visitmaryland.org.
About Maryland Commerce
The Maryland Department of Commerce stimulates private investment and creates jobs by attracting new businesses, encouraging the expansion and retention of existing companies, and providing financial assistance to Maryland companies. The Department promotes the State’s many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development and international investment, trade and tourism. Because they are major economic generators, the Department also supports the Arts, film production, sports and other special events. For more information, visit commerce.maryland.gov.
