What 20 Years of Pure Michigan Means

When we examined the brand's legacy, it became clear that its success went far beyond any typical tourism campaign – it's Pure Michigan's calling card that's rooted in emotional connection and authenticity, sparking countless stories and inspiring memory-making adventures 

We wanted to understand why.  

For a recent report, Grace Shu Gerloff, Ph.D., dove into Pure Michigan's 20-year history to build a qualitative, ethnographic account of the cultural, emotional and material significance of the campaign.  

A cultural anthropologist by training who graduated from Michigan State University, Gerloff notes that after conducting her research, "I came to find that Michigan is part of people's identity, and that applies even to people who aren't necessarily from there; they would talk about Michigan as if it were a return to home, a personal connection that other destinations can't deliver." 

Gerloff scoured tens of thousands of social media posts dating back to 2008, reviewed media coverage from 2004 to 2026, examined  a decade of travel data, and spoke with George Zimmermann, former Vice President of Travel Michigan, about the history of the brand. 

In her findings, it became clear that Pure Michigan had effectively grown beyond its travel brand status and evolved into a cultural symbol that is baked into everyday life — from license plates and welcome signs to social media and tattoos. Its most powerful messaging and imagery lean into emotional appeal, and Michigan successfully established itself — among locals and to the world — as a welcoming, inclusive place to slow down and reconnect with nature, with family and with themselves. 

Above all, it inspired a real sense of pride, with Michiganders feeling a personal sense of ownership and belonging. 

A History of Pure Michigan 

In 1997, the state replaced the "Say Yes to Michigan" campaign with a new slogan, "Great Lakes. Great Times," that's still visible on T-shirts and vintage paraphernalia today. 

 According to Zimmermann, who started as Vice President of Travel Michigan in 2001, Detroit's auto industry was in a slump and the state economy was struggling. In 2004, he reports, Travel Michigan conducted a return on investment study on its advertising campaign. They found that the boost in sales tax from tourism produced a substantial return on investment for each dollar spent on advertising.  

With this new understanding of just how valuable tourism could be, Travel Michigan received a larger budget to create new opportunities. "Rather than just keep doing what we're doing, decided to create a new brand for the state," said Zimmermann.  

During a brainstorming meeting with words written on a whiteboard, the word "pure" emerged.  

'Pure' has multiple definitions and they're all positive. Sure, the environmental version kind of made sense around our woods and water, but just as importantly [places like] The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn is truly pure Michigan, right?" says Zimmermann. 

Days later, Pure Michigan was born and the logo that was created still exists today. From 2006 to 2009, Pure Michigan was a regional campaign that focused on attracting visitors from surrounding Midwest states and Canada. Its success led to the campaign’s national launch in 2009 with actor Tim Allen as the voice of the campaign. 

"Suddenly, we were getting deluged with consumers reaching out to us, and we hadn't asked for feedback!" says Zimmermann. "[The campaign] was just running, and people started writing what we called love letters. The common theme around them was pride." 

In 2008, Pure Michigan joined Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), opening the floodgates for people to share publicly what Pure Michigan meant to them. 

 n recent years, an agency partnership with MMGY Global has reignited the Pure Michigan brand with new campaign iterations including "Pursue Your Pure" and "Keep It Fresh." Partnerships with local talent have included campaigns with Detroit's poet laureate jessica Care moore and with Emmy winner Sam Richardson around the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, collecting more awards and recognition across the marketing and tourism industries. 

The Message Lives On

But beyond the recognition and revenue, the brand's true success is rooted in its emotional resonance and how Pure Michigan campaigns mirror the feelings associated with the state. Gerloff has identified that since the launch of Pure Michigan 20 years ago – inclusive of countless commercials, campaigns and social media posts – the message continues to resonate: