Pure Michigan

{{Short description|Tourism marketing campaign for the U.S. state of Michigan}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}

File:WelcomeToMichiganSignUS8Nov2009.jpg

Pure Michigan is as an advertising campaign by the State of Michigan to market itself as a travel and tourism destination. It was launched in 2008{{cite press release |last= Borgstrom |first= Kirsten |date= May 5, 2008 |url= http://www.michigan.org/PressReleases/Detail.aspx?ContentId=0bc774af-d7a2-49e2-adea-e564566285b6 |title= Pure Michigan Summer Advertising Campaign Launches Today |publisher= Travel Michigan |access-date= May 9, 2009}} featuring the voice of actor and comedian Tim Allen,{{cite web |author= Michigan Economic Development Corporation |author-link= Michigan Economic Development Corporation |url= http://www.michiganadvantage.org/Travel-Marketing/ |title= Travel Marketing: Pure Michigan |publisher= Michigan Economic Development Corporation |access-date= November 12, 2012}} using the title song from The Cider House Rules as the background music in television commercials.{{cite news |last1 = Lawler |first1 = Emily |date = March 22, 2015 |title = Could the 'Pure Michigan' Music Change? New Tourism Chief Looks to Keep the Brand Fresh |url = https://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2015/03/could_the_pure_michigan_music.html |work = MLive |access-date = December 4, 2018 }}

The Pure Michigan campaign received state and international attention beginning in 2008{{cite news |first= Anne |last= Holcomb |date= May 12, 2008 |url= http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/05/pure_michigan_tourism_campaign.html |title= 'Pure Michigan' Campaign Aims to Draw Out of State and Canadian Travelers |work= Kalamazoo Gazette |access-date= May 9, 2009}}{{cite news |last= Gustafson |first= Sven |date= July 3, 2008 |url= http://www.mlive.com/rebrandingmichigan/index.ssf/2008/07/pure_michigan_ads_pay_off.html |title= Award-Winning 'Pure Michigan' Travel Ads Pay Off |work= Business Review |publisher= Booth Newspapers |access-date= May 9, 2009}}{{cite news |agency= Associated Press |date= March 23, 2009 |url= https://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-03-24-michigan-tourism_N.htm |title= Michigan to Launch National and Canadian Ad Campaign in Face of Tourism Decline |work= USA Today |access-date= May 9, 2009}}{{cite news |last= Creager |first= Ellen |date= March 24, 2009 |title= Pure Michigan brings home the bacon: But will it halt downward slide in Michigan tourism? |work= Detroit Free Press }}{{cite news |last= Youssef |first= Jennifer |date= May 8, 2009 |url= http://www.detnews.com/article/20090508/BIZ/905080342/1001/rss2 |title= Ad Blitz Revs Up Virtual Visits to Michigan |work= The Detroit News |access-date= May 9, 2009}} when Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm approved $45 million in additional funding for the Pure Michigan campaign from the 21st Century Jobs Trust Fund.{{cite press release |last= Boyd |first= Liz |date= April 8, 2008 |url= http://michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-23442_21974-190126--,00.html |title= Governor Granholm Signs Michigan Promotion Bills, Announces Historic Investment in Marketing Michigan |publisher= Office of the Governor |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080422042635/http://michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-23442_21974-190126--,00.html |archive-date= April 22, 2008 |access-date= May 9, 2009}} The unprecedented tourism fund amount for the state allowed the Pure Michigan campaign to be broadcast on a national level beginning in March 2009. Annual funding for fiscal 2014 was $29 million.{{cite news |url= http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20130306/NEWS/130309917/state-tourism-industrys-plan-for-next-5-years-more-than-pure |title= State Tourism Industry's Plan for Next 5 Years: More than Pure Marketing |newspaper= Crain's Detroit Business |first= Amy |last= Lane |date= March 6, 2013 |access-date=July 18, 2014 }}

Pure Michigan also refers to the brand created by Travel Michigan and embodied by the organization's website. The site was relaunched in March 2008 to support the Pure Michigan brand.{{cite press release |last= Borgstrom |first= Kirsten |date= March 18, 2008 |url= http://www.michigan.org/PressReleases/Detail.aspx?ContentId=78b625d1-8d99-4d99-9e5c-7faeba2745c6 |title= New Michigan Tourism Web Site Launched |publisher=Travel Michigan |access-date= May 9, 2009}} Travel Michigan is itself a division of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, a state-funded economic development corporation founded in 1999 to support the economic development of Michigan.{{cite web |author= Michigan Economic Development Corporation |url= http://www.michiganadvantage.org/About-MEDC/ |title= About Michigan Economic Development Corporation |publisher= Michigan Economic Development Corporation |access-date= November 12, 2012}} Campaign commercials and radio announcements depict Michigan as adventurous and rustic.

In August 2012, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson unveiled new license plates using the Pure Michigan logo.

{{cite news |first= Jonathan |last= Oosting |date= August 22, 2012 |url= http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/08/secretary_of_state_unveils_new.html |title= Secretary of State Unveils New 'Pure Michigan' License Plate to Replace Standard Offering |work= MLive |publisher= Booth Newspapers |access-date= May 29, 2015}} These plates were released to the public in April 2013.{{cite news |title= New License Plate Pushes 'Pure Michigan' |first= Mark |last= Brush |date= April 8, 2013 |url= http://michiganradio.org/post/new-license-plate-pushes-pure-michigan-vote-your-all-time-favorite#stream/0 |publisher= Michigan Radio |access-date= May 29, 2015}} The logo is also used on retail projects sold in the state.{{cite news |first= Melissa |last= Anders |date= December 13, 2012 |title= Pure Michigan Is Everywhere: Slogan on Everything from License Plates to Bars of Soap, Holiday Gifts |url= http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/12/pure_michigan_is_everywhere_sl.html |work= MLive |publisher= Booth Newspapers |access-date= May 29, 2015}} At the end of 2014, legislation signed by Governor Rick Snyder extended the branding to the state's heritage route program, renaming them Pure Michigan Byways.{{cite news |first= Becky |last= Lehndorff |date= March 27, 2014 |title= Route US 23 Closer to Becoming Part of Pure Michigan Campaign |url= http://thealpenanews.com/page/content.detail/id/529030/Route-US-23-closer-to-becoming-part-of-Pure-Michigan-campaign.html?nav=5009 |work= The Alpena News |access-date= October 14, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141020073254/http://thealpenanews.com/page/content.detail/id/529030/Route-US-23-closer-to-becoming-part-of-Pure-Michigan-campaign.html?nav=5009 |archive-date= October 20, 2014 |url-status= dead }}{{cite press release |first1= Sara |last1= Wurfel |first2= Dave |last2= Murray |name-list-style= amp |url= http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577-344557--,00.html |title= Gov. Rick Snyder Signs Bills Focused on Creating Good Government Practices: Also Signs Memorial Highway, 'Pure Michigan Byways' Bills |date= December 31, 2014 |publisher= Office of the Governor |access-date= January 1, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150103071754/http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577-344557--,00.html |archive-date= January 3, 2015}}

In the late 2010s, following the election of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the brand was threatened with discontinuation, but has been revived as of 2022 with new commercials and both the standard and Mackinac Bridge license plates continue to use the branding a decade after their introduction.{{cn|date=March 2023}}