I’ve always had an odd fascination with tourism marketing slogans, mostly because they often seem so spectacularly useless.

This is probably a consequence of growing up in Manitoba, which has always struggled to create a positive image for itself. I still remember being unusually excited, for a child, when the City of Winnipeg announced it was unveiling a new slogan for itself, and then being deeply disappointed when the catchphrase was revealed: “One Great City!”

That vague phrase adorned signs welcoming motorists to Winnipeg for nearly two decades before it was finally retired in 2008. The slogan is now more widely known thanks to the Weakerthans song by the same name, in which lead singer John K. Samson repeats over and over in the chorus “I hate Winnipeg” – probably not the outcome the marketing gurus had in mind when they came up with the idea in the first place.

Manitoba went through another awkward branding phase in 2006 when the province unveiled a new slogan of its own: “Spirited Energy.” Manitobans were underwhelmed and generally confused by this one, and while it’s still kicking around on government websites, it’s since been largely replaced by Tourism Manitoba’s latest branding attempt: “It’s Manitoba Time.” The response, again, has not been particularly enthusiastic.

The problem with all of these slogans is that they don’t really say anything at all. They are way too vague, generally meaningless and don’t leave much of an impression. I and many other taxpayers in Manitoba who have footed the bill for these attempts at branding have often wondered how effective they are and whether they are worth the cost.

With all this in my mind, the bar wasn’t set too high last week for representatives from Travel Alberta to impress me with their latest attempt at the tricky business of summing up an entire province in a few words. But they well exceeded my admittedly low expectations with their presentation.

The “(remember to breathe)” ad campaign (read more about it on page 3, if you haven’t already) succeeds where Manitoba’s recent attempts have failed.

The slogan itself is not the focus of the advertisements (hence the use of parentheses) but rather is introduced at the end of television ads or near the bottom of print ads, after audiences have already been presented with a series of stunning images of gorgeous natural scenery or exciting outdoor activities.

The effect, in this context, makes the slogan both meaningful and memorable. The message is clear: Alberta will take your breath away.

The campaign is also focused. The target audience, according to Royce Chwin, managing director of global marketing and brand strategy with Travel Alberta, is primarily “youthfully spirited adventurers.” As a result, outdoor adventure sports figure prominently into many of the ads, including mountain biking, horseback riding and alpine skiing. As a avid skier, myself, I have to say there were moments watching some of the television ads that I did find myself holding my breath.

During his presentation in Jasper, Chwin was careful to say that the ad campaign is designed to attract visitors to all parts of Alberta, and some of the ads certainly do feature compelling scenes from parts of the province that aren’t situated in the mountains. But there is an obvious emphasis on the Rockies, which Chwin also said was quite deliberate.

While perhaps unfair to other parts of Alberta, that’s just good marketing. The Rocky Mountains are not only iconic and inherently awesome (in my humble opinion), they also are a natural draw. It makes sense to make them a focal point of the ad campaign.

A big part of the problem with Manitoba’s branding strategies was that they appeared to be done by committee, trying to be all things to all people. The result was a fragmented and muddled message, one that was easily lost in the sea of other mediocre tourism branding attempts out there – and there are plenty of them. Just to name a few, there’s “Kentucky – unbridled spirit” or “Classic Connecticut” or “Buffalo. For Real.”

I’m not sure if these are better or worse than Australia’s 2006 attempt at a slogan – “Where they bloody hell are you?”  – as the phrase just doesn’t come across quite the same in print as it does being spoken in an Aussie accent. Ads featuring the slogan were banned in some countries, which isn’t really helpful when trying to promote a brand, but at least it got people’s attention.

I must say I do like our local slogan: “Jasper. Wonderful. By Nature.” It’s simple enough, clear, and meaningful, which already puts it miles ahead of most. Of course, it’s a lot easier to come up with a good slogan in a place like Jasper, with all its natural beauty and a positive reputation that precedes it. It’s a bit tougher for places like Manitoba or Kansas or Buffalo, which don’t share quite the same advantages

DISCLAIMER: The Last Word is an opinion column, it is meant to provoke thought and debate. As such, any opinions written here are the writer’s own and do not reflect the viewpoint of any other Fitzhugh staff member or the directors of the Jasper Media Group Inc.