A campaign to promote the 10/12 corridor nationwide is on hold right now, 10/12 Weekly reports. GSD&M Idea City has revised it twice — once to include the New Orleans region, and again to include all of Louisiana — in hopes of securing funding for a campaign from Louisiana Economic Development or another state agency. However, at the 10/12 magazine Louisiana Leadership Forum earlier this month, LED Secretary Stephen Moret announced he has hired Peter A. Mayer Advertising in New Orleans to produce a branding campaign for the state.
GSD&M’s Haley Rushing, who oversaw development of that campaign, says that by tailoring it to fit all of Louisiana, “we can create a strong case for government funding of a campaign that will help revitalize the entire state.” But she says the agency is waiting for a funding strategy before going into production and officially launching the campaign. GSD&M has proposed “Louisiana to the Rescue,” portraying the state swooping in to save people from their mundane lives in other parts of the country. Such a campaign will be pricey. GSD&M estimates $3 million for a purely local effort aimed at retaining Louisiana’s own young professionals and turning them into ambassadors for the corridor. Winning back those who have moved on to Dallas, Austin, Houston and Atlanta will take $8 million. And winning over potential residents and businesses from across the nation by changing their perceptions of Louisiana will cost an estimated $23 million. To read the rest of 10/12 Weekly, click here.—Penny Brown Font
