PENINSULA – A series of ads highlighting tourism here on the Peninsula will be tempting folks in the Seattle area to visit the beach – on TV, radio and buses. The ads will emphasize places of interest from Oysterville to Ilwaco.

A 30-second TV commercial developed by Len and Erik Nelson’s Ilwaco-based Riparian Productions began running last month on Seattle’s KING and KONG TV stations and will continue through the end of April. Ten seconds of the ad focus on local fishing opportunities in order to reach people who are currently planning their fishing trips for the upcoming season.

Radio spots will blanket the Puget Sound area and about 60 placards have been placed in Seattle buses since last year. The decision to combine TV, radio and bus exposure is intended to create a targeted approach in an area known for its visitation to southwest Washington. A survey of lodging establishments during last summer’s tourist season revealed that the largest percentage of overnight stays are visitors from the Seattle area. With that area being a prime market for the Peninsula, the decision to focus the approach on that area will afford an opportunity to measure the effectiveness of a concentrated media campaign over a year’s time.

According to Long Beach City Administrator Robert Strope, “We want everybody to know what is going on in our area and we’ll be marketing the whole Peninsula. We recognize that anything we do to promote the area benefits everyone.” With intense competition for tourists along the entire West Coast, “if we pool our resources, we all win,” he said.

Funding for the current TV ad was provided by the city of Long Beach and the Ilwaco Charter Association, with matching dollars from the Washington State Tourism Office.

Once this six-week co-op ad with the tourism office is finished, the city of Long Beach will expand the ad campaign and other groups have been approached to be involved.

Una Boyle, executive director of the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau, who is coordinating the development of the spots and working with the involved marketing personnel in Seattle, said, “This is a good first effort for our area. Branching out into television advertising is a significant move for us.”

Beginning in May, ads on nine cable channels – Outdoor Life, ESPN, Travel, CMT, Speed, Discovery, History, CNN and Fox News – will target close to 350,000 homes and will complement the radio and bus ads. “We want to get www.funbeach.com out there and get people interested and asking ‘Where is this Long Beach place?'” Strope said. “If they come, they’ll come back.” Strope said a recurring theme in meetings planning the ad campaign was how all the areas of the Peninsula can work together and pool their efforts. “What’s good for the communities is good for the whole area,” he said. “The partnership with the charter operators is a good example. We’re really excited about this.”