Explore Minnesota's tourism ad is actually (gasp!) clever

There's a new tourism campaign for Minnesota, intended to get people to come here and spend money. (The previous campaign, which asked them just to mail us money, had an underwhelming response.) There's a brilliant and inventive video for the new campaign, too -- but this being print, there's no way to sum it up, except A) Joe Mauer sings, and B) it doesn't bore you dead within six seconds like every other tourism ad. Doesn't matter what the state is, they're all the same: Sweeping music, Golden Nature Shot, a couple in a hip, urban restaurant laughing over a hip, urban glass of wine, a jazz musician playing a trumpet, a roller coaster, someone fishing and something "retro" to remind you of your childhood vacations, even though your brother threw up when the car passed the sugar beet plant. Do they work? No one ever says, "Let's go to Indiana for our vacation! Based on that brief shot of a man playing the sax with a brick wall in the background, they combine a gritty, authentic urban experience with the fresh new spirit that's distinctly Indianan."

The ads always close with a slogan that says nothing: Experience the feeling. Feel the experience. Where Hearts Soar. Where Sore Hearts Experience Feeling. Some honest slogans might be, say, Michigan: More Than a Tragic Urban Sinkhole, We Keep Telling Ourselves.

Or North Dakota: Hours from anything; pack some jerky.

South Dakota: Two days to get to the heads, five minutes for your kids to be bored.

Iowa: Buddy Holly Died Trying to Get Out of Here, But We've Made Improvements.

Wisconsin: Come for the Cheese, Stay for the Bitter Partisan Battles That Pit Brother Against Brother.

Montana: That Old Coot with the Shotgun Yelling "Private Property" is Ted Turner, He's Harmless.

Our slogan: "More to Explore." It's a bit underwhelming, but considering last year's motto -- "Try not to think of the call of the loon as the cry of lost souls begging for solace" -- a distinct improvement.

You can see the ad at www.startribune.com/a302.

jlileks@startribune.com • 612-673-7858 More daily at www.startribune.com/popcrush.