Visit Florida is teaming up with a popular television show for an advertising campaign and pet photo contest. The winner walks away with a $10,000 trip to Florida. But, state officials are banking on the program creating a return on investment in the form of tourism.
The TV show “Live! with Kelly and Michael” is hosting a pet-pix contest to find America’s cutest dog. Behind the many dog-on-the-beach pictures and the promise of an all-expense paid vacation to the sunshine state, is the contest’s logo with the words, ‘Sponsored by Visit Florida’.
The advertisement is another attempt to attract tourists to the state, targeting dog owners in an effort to raise Florida’s profile as dog-friendly.
Visit Florida spokesman Paul Phipps said, the state’s tourism arm paid to hold the contest with the “Live! with Kelly and Michael” show, but won’t give details on how much. The trip will be paid for by the state’s tourism partners. Phipps anticipates the investment to be a diverse use of ad funding, based on the focus of Florida from the point of view of dogs.
“We thought that this was something that Kelly and Michael would have fun with. And so we approached their producers and, they loved the idea and really embraced it, and so you know, it just creates – you have fun with it - and at the same time you’re really telling another side of the Florida experience,” Phipps said.
Visit Florida’s advertising budget totals $90 million dollars. The state contributes $74 million of that.
The contest winner will be announced this Friday on the “Live! with Kelly and Michael” show.