The Florida Keys’ official tourism promotion agency hopes to kickstart the return of visitors with a $1 million advertising campaign.
The island chain officially reopened to visitors on October 1 and it is touting business as usual for the upcoming winter tourism season.
The campaign is themed ‘We Are 1,’ referring to the U.S. Highway 1, the overseas highway which runs the length of the island chain.
The ad campaign will air on television, radio, digital, print and in the travel trade aimed at eastern markets in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C, plus South Florida and Orlando.
"Our concept is that the Keys are resilient and that, as the sun rises in the Florida Keys, so do we. The sun is shining, the fish are biting and there is a rainbow at the end of the hurricane," said Dorn Martell, chief creative officer at Miami-based Tinsley Advertising, Monroe County Tourist Development Council’s ad agency partner.
A TV ad states: "Hurricane Irma may have knocked out our power, but in the Florida Keys, we’ve never been more connected. Together, we’ve picked up the pieces and we’re getting back to business. We are strong and resilient. We are 1."
Recovery efforts are still ongoing, although main tourist hubs such as Key West and Key Largo are mostly back to normal.
Flights and cruise calls are operating again although some beaches and state parks in Monroe County remain closed.
