Pure Michigan Honored with Four 2023 HSMAI Adrian Awards

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Nick Nerbonne

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Accolades celebrate Pure Michigan’s travel marketing efforts to inspire fresh experiences in the Great Lakes State, foster inclusivity in the outdoors, and more

LANSING, Mich. – Feb. 16, 2024 – Pure Michigan is building on its legacy as an award-winning  travel brand with the addition of four Bronze Adrian Award honors from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). The Adrian Awards, now in its 67th year, are the largest and most prestigious competition in global travel marketing. This year’s WanderLOVE theme aimed to highlight the stories that sparked a love for travel, igniting a desire for exploration among travelers worldwide. 

“The Pure Michigan brand continues to be one of the most recognizable and celebrated travel brands since it launched more than 15 years ago, and we’re honored to have our new campaign work recognized,” said Kelly Wolgamott, Interim Vice President of Travel Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. "In the spirit of igniting exploration, Michigan's Keep It Fresh campaign, recognized by HSMAI, helped showcase our destination's diverse locations and fresh perspectives."

In the 2023 Adrian Awards, Pure Michigan received Bronze for the following entries:

Keep It Fresh in Pure Michigan (Bronze)

Integrated Campaign - Business to Consumer

Building on a goal to inspire travelers to come experience something different and feel renewed in the Mitten State, the “Keep It Fresh” campaign focused on sharing a comprehensive view of Michigan, including showcasing diverse locations in both peninsulas and unique perspectives. The integrated campaign utilizes visual, auditory, and artistic elements and is easily adaptable for each season to authentically portray Michigan as a four-season destination. The “Keep It Fresh” campaign reached an estimated 42 million households through advertising efforts.

jessica Care moore I Am Detroit Summer (Bronze)

Digital: Video - Single Entry

A key element of Pure Michigan’s “Keep It Fresh” campaign was to inspire visitors through fresh travel perspectives and new voices. In the spring, Detroit-based poet and spoken word artist jessica Care moore joined the Pure Michigan campaign to lend her unique voice to programming. jessica Care moore contributed her artistry to the campaign by crafting and delivering poems that highlight Michigan’s beauty and how her home state has influenced her identity. The inaugural piece in this spoken-word series, titled "I Am Detroit Summer," designed to showcase the splendor of summertime in Michigan, emphasizing the inspiration it offers at every turn. Different cuts of the poem inspired travelers across CTV, digital and the Pure Michigan social media channels.

Pure Michigan Welcomes New Faces to the Outdoors (Bronze)

Digital: Video - Single Entry

Michigan, a state committed to fostering welcoming and accessible outdoor experiences, has put a strong emphasis on inclusivity in outdoor recreation in recent years. Today, special events like Michigan Ice Fest, the country’s longest-running ice climbing festival hosted in Michigan's Upper Peninsula demonstrate Michigan’s work in creating inclusive, accessible outdoor spaces and experiences for all. Each February, this event brings climbers from all walks of life together to experience the thrills of ice climbing, a sport that has traditionally had a high barrier to entry. In an effort to truly capture the welcoming spirit of Michigan Ice Fest and raise awareness about Michigan’s efforts in creating welcoming outdoor experiences, the team developed a five-minute video titled, “Welcoming New Faces to the Outdoors.” The video provides viewers with an in-depth overview on the Michigan Ice Fest experience, featuring conversations with organizers and participants, while demonstrating Michigan’s efforts in creating an opportunity for people of all cultures, backgrounds and abilities to experience outdoor adventures in Michigan.

Cruising the Great Lakes State in an EV (Bronze)

Integrated Campaign: Influencer Marketing

Recognizing the growing desire for sustainable travel and the popularity of road trips, Michigan, the place that put the world on wheels, set out to grow awareness of the state’s electric vehicle (EV) innovations to show EV road trips in Michigan are possible. The team engaged out-of-state YouTubers known for evaluating and simplifying new technologies to the Great Lakes State to embark on road trips in Michigan-made EVs and capture content that showcases a mix of mobility innovation and classic Pure Michigan leisure activities. Their social content not only provided audiences with a better understanding of EV travel, but also showed how taking an EV road trip in Michigan is now possible and even provided some itinerary inspiration along the way.

Pure Michigan has engaged agency partners to help elevate the Pure Michigan brand and promote Michigan as a top four-season destination. FINN Partners oversees tourism public relations and social media while MMGY leads travel marketing and advertising efforts.

Since 2013, the Pure Michigan campaign has been recognized with 29 Adrian Awards. To stay up-to-date on the latest Michigan travel news, sign up for Pure Michigan’s e-newsletter, visit Michigan.org and follow @puremichigan across social media.

About Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners and is the industry’s leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as the Marketing Strategy Conference, Adrian Awards, and HSMAI ROC. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising more than 5,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at hsmai.org, HSMAI Facebook, HSMAI Instagram, HSMAI Twitter/X, and HSMAI YouTube.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and X (formerly Twitter).