Often overlooked but resilient: Cheeky tourism campaign frames Winnipeg as middle child
Teased as April Fools' joke, campaign received such positive feedback it is now being made official
What started as an April Fools' joke on social media is now set to become a new tourism campaign for Winnipeg — branding the city beyond its landmarks.
Say hello to the middle child of Canada.
"Winnipeg is self-deprecating, maybe often overlooked, but funny. We thought it sounded a little bit like a middle child," said Kathy Tarrant, vice president of marketing at Tourism Winnipeg.
"Middle children are often humorous, they're funny but they're also resilient ... a lot of those same qualities really translate into what makes a Winnipegger so different and special."
In light of the ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States, Tourism Winnipeg is hoping to capitalize on the opportunity to draw more Canadian visitors to the city, according to Tyler Walsh, director of marketing for the organization.
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As it began exploring alternatives for a summer campaign to capture the demand for local tourism, it stumbled on a middling idea that became the face of their newest branding.
The idea was first presented as an April Fools' Day joke as a way to test the waters and get feedback before considering an official campaign launch.
"It was a little bit quirky and a little bit different," Tarrant said. "Winnipeggers are the hardest critics. They'll tell us when we've missed the mark or when we've hit [it]."
Walsh said the feedback on social media was "overwhelmingly positive" and far exceeded what the organization had seen for campaigns in previous years.
"We definitely struck a nerve," he said.
"I don't think you ever expect to have nearly 100 per cent positive feedback on anything that you put out into the world."
After growing up with the "Friendly Manitoba" slogan being attached time and again to tourism campaigns, or seeing other strategies that didn't spur excitement, Winnipegger Julia Schroeder said the new campaign is a welcome and much more engaging one.
"I know we often get overlooked, especially because we are so far from other major cities, but the nature, the people, the community … our city has its flaws but it also has some really, really lovely things," Schroeder said.
The campaign will be launched in May in Saskatchewan, Alberta and northwestern Ontario throughout the summer.
"If we can have a little fun and add a sense of humour in that kind of Winnipeg wink and nod to the things that we put out there, that's fantastic," Walsh said.
With files from Zubina Ahmed and Faith Fundal