Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Launches Summer Advertising Campaign

Chapel Hill, NC (May 21, 2008) – The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau has launched a new advertising campaign designed to entice travelers from the Atlantic coast region to visit Orange County this summer and throughout the year. The campaign, developed by Jennings, the Chapel Hill, NC based branding and advertising agency, targets residents in state and regional markets who are most likely to be planning a driving vacation.

With the theme “the feeling never leaves you,” the campaign focuses on the emotional connections that people make to Chapel Hill after a first-time visit. “Most visitors are on a repeat visit. Simply put, after visiting our communities, they fall in love,” said Laurie Paolicelli, Visitors Bureau Executive Director.

Ads remind prospective travelers that much of Orange County is free, including a basketball museum, botanical garden, art museums, six farmers markets, historic tours, walking trails and outdoor concerts.

“As gas prices rise, the whole idea of being just a tank or two away really hits home,” said Paolicelli.

Print ads will start appearing in early June in six markets including: Asheville, Charlotte, Richmond, Petersburg, Greensboro and Wilmington. The campaign also makes use of Internet ads through Trip Advisor.

The new campaign, which also called for a complete redesign of the Visitors Bureau’s website, was designed and executed by Jennings, who was hired in 2006 after a national search. The first year was spent in creative development. The second year contract, approved unanimously by the Bureau’s board of directors, focuses on media placement, on-line and through print promotions.

Throughout 2008 and 2009, the tourism campaign will call attention to the area’s historic college town appeal; arts and heritage offerings in the three towns; and also getting Tar Heel athletic visitors to come early and stay late.

“We are pleased with the creative direction the new website took and the fact that our ads seem to be capturing new audiences. We are hopeful that we can help Orange County and the tourism industry boost the local economy, diversify the non-residential tax base and create new jobs,” said Dan Dunlop, Jennings President.

For more information, log on to visitchapelhill.org or contact the Visitors Bureau in Chapel Hill, at 919-968-2060.


Did You Know?

UNC was the first state-supported university in the U.S. and enrolls nearly 30,000 students from all North Carolina counties, all U.S. states and more than 100 foreign countries.