!MEDIA CONTACT: Danielle Johnson, Wisconsin Department of Tourism Phone: 608-266-0458 E-mail: djohnson@travelwisconsin.com !Lisa Marshall, Wisconsin Department of Tourism Phone: 608-267-3773 Email: lmarshall@travelwisconsin.com !Media Room: http://media.travelwisconsin.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE !!“CAMP WISCONSIN” WINS GOLD AT NATIONAL OBIE AWARDS

Outdoor Advertising Campaign Coaxed Chicagoans With Summer Fun !MADISON, Wis. (May 13, 2015) — The Wisconsin Department of Tourism (WDT), along with its agency of record Laughlin Constable (LC), won a Gold OBIE Award last night from the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) for its summer 2014 “Camp Wisconsin” outdoor advertising campaign. The OBIE Awards are one of the oldest and most prestigious advertising programs, honoring creative excellence in out-of-home (OOH) advertising campaigns. They were presented at OAAA’s annual conference in San Diego. !

Children’s summer camps inspired the transformation of Chicago buses and bus shelters to look like summer camp scenes promoting tourism to Wisconsin. Bus shelters were outfitted with sound buttons that pedestrians could press to hear campfire sing-alongs celebrating Wisconsin. Double-decker tourist buses were embellished to look like school buses loaded for summer camp and seatbacks were emblazoned

with information encouraging riders to join in the summer fun at “Camp Wisconsin.” !“I am proud of the clever, effective and fun ways we promote travel in Wisconsin. It’s an honor to have our marketing efforts recognized alongside top national brands like Coca-Cola, Google, Eddie Bauer, HBO and IKEA,” said Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett. “This is the second time in three years we’ve won a prestigious OBIE Award. What’s even more exciting is marketing campaigns like Camp Wisconsin have far-reaching economic effects for our state, influencing Wisconsin’s image as a great place to not only vacation, but also to live, open a business or go to college.” !!Last week, Gov. Scott Walker announced the state’s tourism economy topped $18.5 billion in 2014, up $1 billion from a year earlier and up from $14.8 billion in 2010. According to a recent economic impact report, Wisconsin has experienced consistent increases in tourist visits to the state and per trip spending. Last year, visitor growth in 2014 topped 102 million, an increase of 7 million visits since

2010 and visitors generated $1.4 billion in state and local revenue. Tourism supports 187,643 jobs, adding over 6,200 jobs to Wisconsin’s total employment since 2011. !

! ! !“Camp Wisconsin” was one of 91 contenders in the 73rd annual OBIE Awards. The nominated campaigns demonstrated the many ways that a simple message could be effectively expressed through the OOH medium. !About OBIE/OAAA The OBIE Awards are presented by the Outdoor Advertising Federation of America (OAAA), the national trade association for the out of home (OOH) advertising industry. Founded in 1891, the association represents more than 90 percent of the U.S. industry based on revenues. The OOH industry generates $6.7 billion annually in ad revenues and donates more than $450 million in space each year. For more information, visit www.oaaa.org. !About the Wisconsin Department of Tourism The mission of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism is to market the state as the Midwest’s premier travel destination by executing industry-leading marketing programs and establishing strategic partnerships. The Department plays a significant role in generating greater economic impact and jobs for Wisconsin. The portal for traveler information can be found at: www.travelwisconsin.com. !About Laughlin Constable Laughlin Constable has been providing integrated marketing services to its clients for more than 35 years. With offices in Chicago, Milwaukee, New York and New Jersey, the agency provides Full Circle Branding solutions to include brand strategy, digital marketing, digital development, advertising, design, public relations, and media research, planning and buying. Its annual billings are in excess of $260 million. Along with the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, other agency clients include: the Bon-Ton Retail Group, Lung Cancer Alliance, Master Lock, MillerCoors, SABMiller, A&E, the USA Network and McDonald’s Restaurants of Southeastern Wisconsin. For more information, please visit www.laughlin.com. !

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