• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, April 5, 2016

The “Show Me” State is turning the camera around in a recently launched ad campaign in which visitors capture their own footage to document and “show” their journeys to Missouri.

Created by H&L Partners for the Missouri Division of Tourism, the integrated execution includes TV, print, radio and out-of-home components that direct audiences to a video-rich microsite.

In “It’s Your Show,” real tourists tell the story. The new campaign features six real family and friend groups from nearby cities experiencing various destinations on road trips throughout the state. H&L equipped travelers with GoPros and iPhones, and stood back and let them capture their own footage to document and “show” their journeys.

Travel groups included the McCord family (Chicago), the Swartz family (Omaha, Neb.), the McClelland couple (Little Rock, Ark.), girlfriends Jamie, Krystal and Denise (Nashville, Tenn.), an engaged couple, Ian and Kristina (Memphis, Tenn.), and buddies Jordan, Jeremy and Ryan (Tulsa, Okla).

Recognizing the role video and photos play in influencing today’s travel decision-making, the site integrates a 3-D map with dynamic, tourist-generated content to inspire trip planning. With its travel group profiles, hundreds of video vignettes and photographs, interactive map, reviews and ratings, the site will connect prospective travelers with relatable experiences they can trust -- and ultimately enjoy.

Tourism is the second-largest industry in Missouri. From July 2014 to June 2015 alone, 40.4 million people traveled to the Show-Me State, bringing in $15.9 billion, and employing 297,129 Missourians.