Pure Michigan

For the last year or so, the State of Michigan has been unrolling several clever radio and tv ads called “Pure Michigan.” In an effort to boost tourism, Michigan native Tim Allen narrates tales about our great state as inspiring music plays in the background.

The ads are so effective that last year The "Pure Michigan" advertising campaign was named the best state advertising campaign by the National Council of State Tourism Directors. In fact, they say that Michigan.org attracts more traffic than any other state tourism website.

Those ads really make you feel like you live in a magical place. (Well, except for the ad for Flint. No matter how slyly you try to candy-coat it, we all know that Flint will probably always be the armpit of Michigan and will never be magical. Not even if Harry Potter lived there. Sorry, Flint-lovers, I’m sure you know it’s true!)

Right now they’re playing one on the radio called Nature’s Show. That dang commercial gets me every time! When Tim starts saying “It begins with the slow dance of turning leaves, and crescendos in a trillion trees aflame,” I am seriously moved.

Who’d have thought that “more power!” Tim-the-toolman-Taylor would have that kind of command?

If they come out with a Christmas one about Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland and going on a sleigh ride down historic gaslit streets as snow lazily falls from the sky, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I might actually like winter for once…and THAT would be a pure miracle!