[Geo-Aggie]

Originally Posted by Meemur

Canadian Citizen -- ditto what others said about the northern parts of the state. Yes, Detroit is still really scary, but once you get north of it, toward the Thumb and farther up, it's not bad.

Yeah, you can pretty much just go north of 8 Mile or west of Telegraph and feel pretty safe. Actually some feel safe in Detroit, as long as they're in a nice part of Detroit, but I understand that for others the idea of just being in a blighted city makes them feel unsafe - in which case, North of 8 Mile, West of Telegraph or East of Mack and you're good

[brodie734]

Canadians tend to have very, very, very negative views on Detroit because a good number get Detroit's local TV stations over the air... watching the local news is a great way to get a warped perception of a place.

[walker46]

“Pure Michigan is the feeling of how life can and, in many ways, should be.”
- From the Pure Michigan brand guidelines brochure put out by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) in 2012.

What has always struck me about the Pure Michigan ads, is that most of them, unlike more conventional touristy promo ads, start out talking about an idealized state of mind rather than a physical place and then only later do they tie that feeling to either Michigan in general or a specific Michigan location through either images or a tag line at the end. I think they are great and I think Michigan is great, even Detroit. But that maybe is just me and where my mind is at usually.

As an example of what I mean, take a look at this ad entitled “A Simple Sunrise | Pure Michigan”:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9U1hVRMkuE

or this place specific ad “Experience Grand Rapids”:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moQiXZO6R1A

[Windy City Polak]

I'm from Chicago and often see Pure Michigan ads on TV.

Meh, I don't really feel like visiting.

I like forests and lakes and other simple scenery, but I've seen it.

I want my next vacation to be somewhere unique, like Arizona or Florida.

[Serious Conversation]

I think Pure Michigan is one of the better things going in Michigan.

I live in Indianapolis, and we had some billboards for Petoskey and other northern MI destinations locally. The ads show a more pleasant, natural side of Michigan than you hear in the news with the perpetual messes in Flint and Detroit.

[mgkeith]

The Pure Michigan ads are beautifully done. I think they are pretty accurate, and hope that the areas showcased don't get overrun with visitors! We sure have a good thing going. As a non-native, I will say that Michigan is an uncommonly beautiful place, and I feel lucky to be here.

[michigan83]

Originally Posted by Windy City Polak

I'm from Chicago and often see Pure Michigan ads on TV.

Meh, I don't really feel like visiting.

I like forests and lakes and other simple scenery, but I've seen it.

I want my next vacation to be somewhere unique, like Arizona or Florida.

Just like someone from Arizona might get bored with rock formations and dirt... Or someone from Florida might get bored with palm trees and hot weather?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

I think Pure Michigan is one of the better things going in Michigan.

I live in Indianapolis, and we had some billboards for Petoskey and other northern MI destinations locally. The ads show a more pleasant, natural side of Michigan than you hear in the news with the perpetual messes in Flint and Detroit.

There are billboards running in West Michigan proclaiming Warren Dunes State Park as a "Top 10 state park in Indiana." Why in the world would that matter to someone in West Michigan?

[AnnieA]

I only recently became aware of the the Pure Michigan ads and I love them.

[walker46]

Originally Posted by magellan

There are billboards running in West Michigan proclaiming Warren Dunes State Park as a "Top 10 state park in Indiana." Why in the world would that matter to someone in West Michigan?

Especially since Warren Dunes State Park is in Michigan. (Haven't seen them but I think maybe the billboards say Indiana Dunes State Park.)