SEATTLE (January 4, 2022) – State of Washington Tourism (SWT), previously known as the Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA), today launched a refreshed brand and tourism marketing program. “The State of Washington” will replace Experience WA is the consumer facing brand, and a complementary industry identity, State of Washington Tourism, will align public and industry facing programs. The rebrand includes new logos, colors and fonts along with a modernized inspirational travel website.
Along with the brand comes a new consumer campaign, “#TrueToNature,” now running in select markets throughout Washington and multiple states across the western US. The primary goal of the “#TrueToNature” campaign is to drive travel to Washington by increasing awareness of the state’s visitor offerings and moving travelers to consider booking.
The foundational mission of SWT is to inspire visitors from around the world with a “traveler first” approach to tourism, thereby reaching and encouraging those who wish to experience thought-provoking and transformative travel moments uniquely their own.
“The new brand and campaign were co-created and shaped by stakeholders from across the state,” said David Blandford, executive director of SWT. “It was a thoughtful process that allowed us to uncover a brand that is an authentic reflection of our destination. We leaned into many of the findings we uncovered throughout the past year. We believe responsibility and inclusivity need to be embedded in our work from the ground up, and that this mindset will help us attract travelers who put values-based decisions first.”
The new destination website — StateOfWaTourism.com — will serve as a dynamic travel resource for visitors, offering statewide trip inspiration, regional and geographic resources, road-trip itinerary suggestions and immersive maps. The brand encapsulates rural, urban and outdoor experiences and highlights the geographical diversity of the state: from coastal beaches to mountainous national parks, from sophisticated cities and charming towns to evergreen forests and flourishing farms and from sunny archipelagos to ancient volcanos. Washington’s essential storytelling elements — arts and culture; heritage and family; sports; food, wine, beer, and spirits; and natural beauty and outdoor adventure — are the foundation for transformative and meaningful experiences.
The destination’s new campaign, “#TrueToNature,” focuses on transformative travel by highlighting four groups of visitors that share their real travel stories as they visit Mount Rainier, the North Cascades, Spokane and the San Juan Islands. The videos are designed to engage and inspire those seeking spontaneous and authentic travel experiences, resulting in intimate, personal memories. The campaign will use a combination of social, digital and traditional advertising and marketing efforts in select markets, including Seattle; Vancouver, BC; California; Oregon; Arizona; Montana; Idaho; and Colorado. The creative campaign was created in partnership with Adventure Creative.
New destination images can be downloaded here. New videos can be viewed here.
In 2018, legislation was passed to reestablish a statewide destination marketing organization. Today, SWT serves as the state contractor to promote Washington as a top American tourist destination. In 2019, there was $21.8 billion in visitor spending in the State of Washington supporting various industry sectors (as reported by Tourism Economics).
For more information about State of Washington Tourism, please visit stateofwatourism.com.
Connect with State of Washington Tourism on social media using the #TrueToNature hashtag and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About State of Washington Tourism
State of Washington Tourism (SWT) is a 501(c)(6) organization established by industry stakeholders, with the sole mission of developing and sustaining Washington State destination tourism marketing. SWT procures and administers funds for marketing efforts and creates and implements a strategic statewide marketing plan. For more information, visit www.industry.stateofwatourism.com.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Tracy Rabsky / Sienna Spencer Markles
Public Relations, GreenRubino for State of Washington Tourism