Lincoln sites, Cozy Dog part of new Illinois marketing campaign

The City of Springfield will play a prominent role in the latest State of Illinois marketing campaign, with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Comfortable dog drive-inand other sites featured in the new promotion.

Governor JB Pritzker officially announcement the new campaign,In the middle of everything“, in a ceremony Monday at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Lincoln’s house and Lincoln’s Grave promoted in addition to the museum and a statue of Lincoln seated on a park bench outside the museum.

Pritzker said the $30 million campaign will help places like Springfield recoup lost tourism dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic and position the state to grow for years to come.

“This campaign is an important next step in helping our state’s tourism recovery and positions Illinois for future growth and success that our entire state can rally around – helping our economy, increasing tax revenue and putting people back to work,” Pritzker said. “As tourists prepare for a busy summer season, we welcome visitors from near and far to find themselves in the middle of all that Illinois has to offer.”

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Scott Dahl, Director of Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureausaid the campaign reflected not just Illinois, but also Springfield, due to the centralized nature of the city.

“We are so grateful to the Illinois Office of Tourism and the DCEO for featuring us in many of these ads in this $30 million campaign,” Dahl said. “(We are) very important in this campaign and certainly as we look to bounce back and have a pre-pandemic type tourism year, that’s not going to hurt.”

Sylvia Garcia, Director of State Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunitysaid the campaign is about welcoming new people to Illinois and supporting businesses large and small.

“We look forward to sharing the wonders of Illinois with visitors from across the country and around the world,” Garcia said. “Tourism is a key economic driver in Illinois and the ‘Middle of Everything’ campaign will help us bring even more visitors to Illinois, who will help support our distinctive small businesses, by inviting hotels and restaurants from world class statewide.”

A series of television commercials will accompany the campaign, led by Illinois native Jane Lynch, famous for her acting roles in shows such as “Glee” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and for her hosting duties. shows such as “Hollywood Game Night”. and “The Weakest Link”. Lynch, who grew up in Dolton, graduated from Illinois State University.

She narrates a quartet of 30-second commercials, which feature a Lincoln impersonator at Lincoln Home, a muscle car at the downtown Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, Lynch interviewing a family at Cozy Dog, and talking with a Lincoln ghost at ” Library Ghosts” in the ALPLM, among others.

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In a statement, the actress said she was proud to see her project come to life, showcasing her passion for the state and all it has to offer.

“I loved every minute of working on this project to promote tourism in my home country and I’m so proud to finally see it come to life,” Lynch said. “I am grateful for Governor Pritzker’s enthusiasm and support for this new Illinois Tourism marketing campaign. We share the same passion for Illinois, its people, its culture, and the state’s wonderful attractions. “

Dahl said the new campaign will allow the office to better shine a light on the connection of Lincoln sites and the town square along historic Route 66. As the strategy enters its fourth year, Dahl said the new money injected could help make a bigger dent with international visitors to Springfield.

“They recognize that the two together are very powerful, especially for international travelers,” Dahl said. “We know that Route 66 and Abraham Lincoln are top concerns for these international travelers.”

He and the town appreciate that the town is being put in the spotlight as people begin to make plans for a summer that may seem more normal than it has been the previous two years.

“Having $30 million behind us to kick off the summer travel season, (with) History Comes Alive coming back strong, to be ahead of the return of General Assembly and conventions in town, (it) feels like fine,” Dahl said. .

Contact Zach Roth: (217) 899-4338; ZDRoth@gannett.com; @ZacharyRoth13