Rhode Island's Tourism Campaign Critique: Beyond Generic

Rhode Island, known for its history of creative advertising agencies, is facing scrutiny over its tourism campaigns. While agencies like Leonard/Monahan and Pagano Schenck & Kay once attracted global clients, recent endeavors have raised questions.

Today, Providence-based Nail Communication is in the spotlight for its creative work, but the state's Commerce RI has consistently assigned advertising work and fees to out-of-state agencies, including New York and, more recently, Florida-based Zimmerman.

In 2016, Rhode Island launched the infamous “Cooler and Warmer” campaign, resulting in a global embarrassment when a tourism video featuring Iceland was released. Nail was selected for an assignment in 2018 titled "Fun-Sized."

However, the latest campaign titled “All That” has drawn criticism. Alec Beckett, the creative partner at Nail Communications, took to social media with a damning post, stating, "The new tourism campaign from Rhode Island is not bad. But make no mistake it is definitely not good. In fact, it’s something worse than bad: it’s generic."

"The way you avoid being generic is by starting with the question, 'What can we say that no one else can?'" - Alec Beckett

Beckett emphasizes the importance of avoiding generic marketing, especially in the tourism sector, where uniqueness is key. He criticizes the campaign for attempting to be all-encompassing, lacking a unique context that showcases Rhode Island's distinct offerings.

Despite the criticism, Governor Dan McKee expresses confidence that the campaign will "propel us forward" and highlights tourism as a crucial economic driver for the state. Commerce RI has remained tight-lipped about the campaign's cost and the decision to opt for an out-of-state firm.

The debate continues as Rhode Island strives to redefine its tourism image, facing the challenge of balancing generic appeal with the need for a distinctive, authentic narrative.