PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island’s commerce secretary says the state is moving forward with a multimillion-dollar tourism campaign to attract summertime vacationers but has no plans to replace its poorly received marketing slogan, “Cooler & Warmer.”
The state dropped the slogan days after unveiling it.
Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor said Wednesday he took responsibility for last month’s botched campaign rollout, which included a video with a scene from Iceland and an error-filled website. The mistakes led state chief marketing officer Betsy Wall to resign April 1.
Pryor testified before lawmakers Wednesday seeking another $4.5 million for the tourism campaign next year. He says about half of this year’s budget is still to be spent but much of that will be spent just before the summer season to attract vacationers from other Northeast states.
