• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer, March 10, 2008

The South Carolina Parks Recreation & Tourism department looked no further than Chicago to find a way to promote tourism to the entire state rather than hotspots such as Charleston.

An impressive guerilla campaign in four Chicago parking garages showcased South Carolina as a fast, warm getaway option for Chicago residents schlepping through the city in single-degree temperatures.

Because nothing excites a freezing commuter more than a visual taunt of sandy beaches and pristine golf courses.

Rawle Murdy handled the media buy for the month-long campaign -- set to end next week -- and selected Chicago as the target market because Chicago's airport has direct flights to all of South Carolina's airports.

Each garage was wrapped with warm, inviting, and surprisingly realistic messaging telling residents that it's "Time to thaw." Stairwells and escalators led commuters to a bikini-clad woman sunbathing on a beach; garage pillars morphed into golf tees; "South Carolina is calling," read phone kiosks fitted with conch shells as phones; and bathroom hand dryers read, "press button for warm South Carolina breezes." The Bounce Agency created the campaign, which drove commuters to the "Time to Thaw" Web site, created by Aristotle.

Additional staircases were fitted to resemble packed suitcases; this reminded me of a campaign that The Bounce Agency created for the Greenville Literacy Association's annual fundraiser, where stairwells were designed to resemble oversized books. See creative here.

Will this campaign increase tourism to South Carolina, or leave Chicagoans with the feeling they're being mocked? I'll be curious to see the number of flights booked this winter from Chicago to South Carolina in the coming months.