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'VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS' MERCHANDISE

July 19, 2009 3:42 am

BY CATHY JETT

Forty years ago, Martin & Woltz staff members were brainstorming ways to promote Virginia tourism when a young copywriter suggested a slogan.

Why not use "Virginia is for History Lovers"? said Robin MacLaughlin.

Luckily, others in the Richmond advertising agency figured that would be too limiting for a campaign designed to shake up the state's stodgy image and show off its wide range of attractions.

So, with the elimination of just one word, "Virginia is for History Lovers" became "Virginia is for Lovers," which Forbes.com recently named one of the top 10 best travel campaigns of all time.

Deleting "history" from the slogan "gave it a whole new spin, a little bit of sex appeal," said David N. Martin, who was in on the session and is now president of Martin Branding. "At the time, the whole idea of lovers was over the edge, as hard as that is to believe now."

"Virginia is for Lovers" caught on quickly, spurred in part by T-shirts, buttons and bumper stickers emblazoned with the phrase. Martin said he wore one of the buttons to a Discover America Travel Convention in San Diego and gave away 200 without even trying.

The slogan helped boost tourism among young couples and families in Virginia, a state that previously had appealed mainly to those in their 40s and 50s, and helped raise the profile of Martin & Woltz, which went on to become The Martin Agency, creator of the popular Gecko and Caveman ads for Geico.

"Virginia is for Lovers" also inspired New York's successful "I love New York" campaign and a multitude of those bumper stickers that begin with the word "I" followed by a big red heart.

"It was one of those magical things," Martin said. "It doesn't happen very often. It's the only time something we created took on a life of its own without much effort."

Martin & Woltz was working on retainer for Virginia when it came up with "Virginia is for Lovers" in 1969. The predecessor was "Faces of Virginia," a straightforward ad campaign featuring scenic photos of the state.

At the time, most tourists stopping in Virginia were older or repeat visitors, yet the ad agency's research had showed that the state had a wealth of attractions--from mountains to beaches and theme parks to historic sites--that would appeal to all ages.

"We were trying to do two things: talk about the diversity, and, two, if you really loved something, you could find it here," Martin said. "We also wanted a youthful spin. The people who came here were in their 40s and 50s, not young couples with children. We were looking for something that had broad appeal to young and old."

"Virginia is for lovers" fit the bill. As one of the writers put it, Martin said, "It stops just short of being naughty."

It also didn't hurt that Debbie Shelton, the model in one of the ad campaign's TV spots, went on to become Miss Virginia and Miss USA, he said. Or that Gov. Linwood Holton figured the slogan was OK once children started humming the song from the commercial.

"Holton got all excited and took "Virginia is for Lovers" buttons to a governors conference in Sun Valley where he was pitching the idea of holding the next governors conference in Williamsburg," Martin said.

"[Then California Gov.] Ronald Reagan said that if Virginia was for lovers, they ought to go to Virginia. The national media heard about that, and the next thing you know, Holton was on the 'Today' show talking about it and wearing the button," he said.

The ensuing media attention helped boost Virginia's tourism industry, which now generates $19 billion in revenue and $1.2 billion in state and local taxes, and supports 210,000 jobs.

Little wonder then that the Virginia Tourism Corp. is celebrating the "Virginia is for Lovers" slogan's 40th birthday by giving away 40 vacations in 40 weeks. Among them are trips to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County, and two others that boast tours and tastings of Ingleside Plantation in Westmoreland County.

The corporation's Web site, Virginia.org, also offers information about 40 free things to do on vacations, travel deals that are $40 or 40 percent off or have a 40th-anniversary theme, and links to several wineries selling limited-edition "Virginia is for Lovers" 40th-anniversary bottles of wine.

The slogan, now the state's official tourism slogan, has such a high awareness level that it has become part of everyday language, Martin said.

"I think Virginians like it because they like the whole tone of it, being associated with something upbeat and a state that is for lovers," he said. "People outside the state like it because love is the universal thing that everyone is interested in."

Cathy Jett: 540/374-5407
Email: cjett@freelancestar.com