Travel Oregon’s new marketing strategy is brilliant in its simplicity – the perfect embodiment of what makes Oregon wonderful. The resulting slogan: “We like it here. You might too.” Also brilliant. While so many destinations claim to be a million things to a million people, Oregon is what it is. Either you like it, or you don’t.

The print ads are just as wonderful as the strategy that fueled them:

While the print campaign, created by Wieden & Kennedy, does a bang-up job, and the website lands the strategy nicely, the TV spots fall flat. They’re missing something really important. Emotion.

Well I think there’s an easy fix that will add a little emotion, without sacrificing the nonchalance of the campaign: music.

Let’s try an experiment. First, play the ad below with its original sound.

Now, turn off the sound on the video above, hit play, and listen to this song while you’re watching:

Which soundtrack do you like better?

Granted, some of their spots have more of a visual punchline than others, and it would be difficult to find a piece of music to get those ideas across. But to me, (and to a lot of other people) music is more powerful than punchlines, especially in tourism TV spots.

I understand what they are trying to do. Add a little quirkiness to the brand’s personality. The key is to find the right balance between establishing a personality and creating the desire in travelers to come to your destination. And if that means the TV spots and the ads don’t match 100%, I think that’s okay. The end message is still the same.

Despite the flat TV spots, kudos to Travel Oregon for taking a risk and doing something that most destinations are too frightened to even contemplate. I wish them success with their campaign.