THE BEST TOURISM MARKETING IN THE STATE – AGAIN

by John Underwood

Once again, Tinsley Advertising dominated the Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism. Held in Tampa, Florida on Thursday, November 19, 2020, the Agency walked away with five (5) Flagler Awards for our creative work produced in 2019 (pre-Covid advertising efforts) for The Florida Keys & Key West. The multiple awards won were more than any other DMO or tourism-related business received in the state.

The Flagler awards included three (3) Henrys (the top honor) for our thirty-second “Twisted” television spot promoting direct flights to the destination, a print campaign promoting the variety of fishing in the Florida Keys & Key West and for our out-of-home taxi promotion in the UK. The agency also took home two (2) more Flagler awards in the Local Marketing and Direct Marketing categories.

The annual Flagler Awards are named after developer and railroad pioneer Henry Flagler and were established by Visit Florida in 2000 to recognize excellence in the Florida tourism marketing industry. To date, no agency has won more awards for a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) than Tinsley.

We continue to be thankful for our long-standing partnership with the Monroe County Tourist Development Council that has allowed us to create award-winning work that has been extremely successful for this remarkable travel destination.

How Bad Creative Can Kill a Whole Medium

by Dorn Martell

I tried to listen to commercial radio this weekend, I really did. My wife and I were working in the garden and plugged in a boom box with no iPod dock and turned on the radio. I know, I know – no one does that any more. But we just thought that we could listen to some light holiday music to get us in the gardening mood. But after a couple of songs it started. An incessant barrage of horrific retail spots with “chain saw” voice announcers and horrible, aggressive sound effects and “music.” There were endless blocks dedicated to a new electronics retailer and a car dealer who is still ripping off the Ghost Busters theme song. Every single spot started on “11” and went up from there. We tried to tough it out, just to get through to something listenable, but the endless stream of mindless scripts read at a scream level got the best of us. ” The radio is all crap, Baby”, said my wife Adriana. “Yes it is, Honey, they must think we are all morons”, said I as I yanked the plug out of the wall. But, I couldn’t help but feel sad. Radio was such an important part of my childhood and it can still be an amazing medium. Some of our classic radio spots like “Michele” and “I love food” prove you can make a radio spot that people actually like and our retail advertising for the Huizenga School of Business got great numbers while refusing to wallow in the ditch of cliche retail radio tactics.

If commercial radio wants to stand a chance against iTunes, Pandora, Spotify and XM it will have to come to terms with the fact that some of the advertising they air is so abrasive and condescending that listeners will simply opt-out and choose to listen to the neighbors’ weed wacker instead.

Flagler Awards 2009

by John Underwood

The Agency walked away tonight with three (3) Flagler Awards at the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism held at The Fountainbleu Hotel. We were actually finalists in four categories and won the three below:

Radio: Tropical Storm Fay
TV: Go Green
Multicultural: The only time we’ll tell you to go straight and Flaming and Fabulous

About The Flagler Awards:
“The Flagler Awards were established by the Florida Commission on Tourism to recognize outstanding tourism marketing in Florida. Every year, the Flagler Awards honor many of the countless individuals and organizations that help sustain and improve Florida’s position as one of the world’s most popular travel destinations. It is a way to recognize the determined efforts of those who use their skill, resourcefulness, creativity and innovative spirit to market Florida to the world, and in doing so help ensure the continued success of the state’s most important industry.”

Thanks to ALL for their hard work. Harold and Rita Irwin (TDC Chair) were in attendance with Harold accepting the “Henrys”.