National travel ads focus on six walkable towns
Boulder-based shoe manufacturer Crocs, popular since 2002 for its
production of colorful, lightweight, plastic shoes, is using Aspen -
along with five other towns across the country - in its latest
marketing campaign.
Called "Cities By Foot," the web-based travel video platform located at
CitiesbyFoot.com, focuses on six cities - Aspen, Denver, Vail, Las
Vegas, San Francisco and New Orleans - with unique, culture-filled town
centers that are easy to navigate by foot. Preferably in Crocs.
According to Aspen Chamber Resort Association vice president of sales
and marketing Lisa Johnson, Crocs wanted to mainly focus on Colorado in
the campaign, and contacted the Colorado Tourism Office for their
advice on places to shoot.
"We have a strong relationship with the state tourism office," says
Johnson, "and they contacted us pretty quickly after Crocs approached
them as a resource to research the state."
Johnson says the chamber was instrumental during the Crocs video shoot
in Aspen - which the campaign dubs "a world-class city with a small
town setting" - helping the company narrow down the list of businesses
they wanted to include.
"They had an idea of what they wanted," she says. "They really did
their homework on the town. We didn't discourage them from any
businesses, we just helped them pick business that would really
indicate the culture of Aspen."
Ten business made the cut: Jimmy's, Little Annie's, Matsuhisa, Kemo
Sabe, Ute Mountaineer, Royal Street Galleries, Boogie's, Baldwin
Gallery, Eric's, and the Sundeck.
"We really have the same message as Crocs does with this campaign,"
Johnson adds. "They're trying to show great towns that are also
walkable towns, and we like to promote that. You can park your car and
walk everywhere in Aspen."
And the national publicity certainly doesn't hurt.
"This is a great way to promote the town," says ACRA marketing manager
Annie Watts. "Crocs putting Aspen in the center of a national campaign
definitely puts more eyes on us, and that's never a bad thing."
The Web site will also include a "deals" section where business in the
categories of restaurants, retail and attraction can, for a fee, place
links to their sites on the Aspen section of the campaign page.
damien@aspendailynews.com
