Timing is everything for Pinellas County's latest media campaign targeting bone-chilled New Yorkers.
After being hit with another huge snowstorm this week and using up its $38 million snow removal budget, the Big Apple will get reminders on subways, busses and elevators of just how warm and sunny the beaches are down here.
Visit St. Petersburg-Clearwater, the county's visitors bureau, launches its $1 million marketing campaign in New York Saturday.
Pinellas visitors officials take no blame - nor credit - for New York's 4 feet, 8 inches of snow this season -- the most in January in 86 years.
But they are poised to take advantage of this week's storm that dumped 19 inches of snow to launch their annual New York winter visitors campaign.
"I lived in New York for 14 years so I know people in subways don't make eye contact," said David Downing, deputy director of Visit St. Petersburg-Clearwater. "But they are a captive audience who will look up and see our ads while they are riding."
Downing expects more than 408 million riders will see Pinellas scenes in 567 subway cars, while others will notice wrap-around signage on Gray Line double-decker buses with beach scenes and labels such as "SoHo Wants Sun?" and "NY C You Later."
This year's program includes a partnership with JetBlue Airways with a travel sweepstakes contest for free trips during February to Pinellas.
A catchy "QR code" ad -- technology that allows camera phone users to snap a picture that then links them directly to a website - will direct them to enter a sweepstakes for free air fare through JetBlue.
More campaign ad examples are on Visit St. Petersburg-Clearwater's Facebook and Google pages.
tjackovics@tampatrib.com
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