Charlotte does 'a lot' in new tourism effort
So, "Charlotte's got a lot," huh? That's what BooneOakley asserts in a tourism campaign for a city I've now learned is in North Carolina. (Having never been farther south than Teaneck, N.J., I had to waste six seconds on Google Maps to find out for sure.) The visual wordplay in the ads is appealing, but the slogan seems best suited for a declaration scrawled on a public phone booth or men's-room wall. In our cellular age, do they still have phone booths anywhere? Or men's rooms, for that matter? I don't see either in the Charlotte ads, which cast the city as the Riviera of the New South, so I guess visitors will have to hit Raleigh or Durham to drop a dime or spend a penny. Which begs a question: Why so down on Raleigh, BooneOakley? It's a question that may need to be addressed the next time state ad contracts come up for review. UPDATE: Check out some of the city's earlier "Shhhhhharlotte" ads here. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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September 25, 2008 in BooneOakley, Gianatasio, Tourism | Permalink |
Comments
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This is the most cryptic review of a campaign I've ever seen. Seems like the writer is more focused on his own shtick than on making a coherent critique. Confused.
Posted by: | Sep 25, 2008 12:05:28 PM
Like other travel ads, I more have a problem with the imagery than slogan here. Show me something that makes me want to come there! Pictures are worth more than 1,000 words of slogans!
The first above is a woman standing at a bar in a restaurant that could be anywhere in the United States. Yawn -- zero appeal there.
The second is a bit better: white water rafting. Now we're getting warmer -- something I can't do just anywhere. But check out the background. It looks like they're rafting in front of a hotel or shopping complex. Where's the beautiful natural scenery that takes your breath away? It says tourist trap to me.
Posted by: D.W. | Sep 25, 2008 1:02:21 PM
I think that's the National Whitewater center where the Olympic athletes train.
Posted by: | Sep 25, 2008 1:06:11 PM
Couldn't agree more with the first comment. Gianatasio's items are always self-indulgent blatherings like this.
Cut him loose.
Posted by: dutycalls | Sep 25, 2008 1:27:49 PM
I also found this review cryptic. Perhaps it resulted from the writer's ignorance of the city until moments before writing it? I didn't see any attacks against Raleigh or Durham, but perhaps I didn't dig deep enough into the site.
Charlotte is the biggest city in North Carolina. It is the most metropolitan. Downtown Charlotte has been hopping the times I've been there. You might actually find a lady that looks like that at a bar.
It looks like the second ad is from the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte. It is actually a man-made whitewater rafting park. That is probably the reason it looks so unnatural. Not being a rafter of any sort, I can't say whether this place is the best for whitewater rafting, but it could be a draw for professionals and amateurs alike as it is an Official Olympic training site. It's certainly something unique to the city.
As far as the slogan, I enjoy it. I like the visual play. I like the word play.
I encourage anyone who hasn't been south of the Mason-Dixon line to give Charlotte a try. It's probably a good way to be in the south without being overwhelmed by our charms. ;)
Posted by: LB | Sep 25, 2008 1:32:05 PM
To the first poster and the others: This is not an ad review site. Never has been. Have you never read Gawker? Boingboing? Defamer? The appeal of these blogs is not "coherent critiques" but rather the incoherent blatherings, et al. So Grams and Gramps, go out familiarize yourself with these things called "blogs" and then come back here and write something worthwhile.
And David, I like your self-indulgent blatherings. Keep it up.
Posted by: sigh | Sep 25, 2008 3:19:13 PM
Oh, and LB? Get a sense of humor.
Posted by: sigh | Sep 25, 2008 3:22:03 PM
It may very well be the center where Olympic athletes train, but if I'm approaching this as an un-informed about Charolette traveler, I'd have no idea what this is.
Posted by: D.W. | Sep 25, 2008 4:34:18 PM
What's a "blog?"
Posted by: | Sep 25, 2008 9:00:05 PM
Charlotte might very well be a lovely place to visit, but travelers beware: A local news station last night reported Charlotte's crime rate is higher than New York City's. You'll never find that statistic in an ad.
Posted by: Megan | Sep 26, 2008 9:04:15 AM
I like the visual wordplay, but on it's own, "Charlotte's got a lot" really says little. I liked the "Shhhhhhharlotte" concept better. "Why so down on Raleigh" really is out of leftfield, though... wtf?
Posted by: Ben | Sep 27, 2008 9:23:56 AM
