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Firsts That Last

Visit nc’s most successful campaign.

In 2019, Visit NC continued its most successful tourism advertising campaign ever — “Firsts That Last.”

Launched in spring 2018, the ongoing campaign has won numerous awards and generated strong results. The documentary-style TV, print and digital campaign features video of actual visitors traveling to North Carolina for the first time, each to experience something new.

Camera crews followed visitors as they had authentic never-before experiences — ranging from an Ohio mother and child getting their first view of the ocean to a New York couple having their first taste of farm life and moonshine.

“When visitors experience something for the first time in North Carolina, it makes a connection — and a memory — that lasts forever,” said Wit Tuttell, EDPNC’s vice president for tourism marketing. “The Firsts That Last campaign is currently the foundation for all of Visit NC’s tourism marketing.”

The magic of experiencing something for the very first time never gets old.

The campaign has won 11 tourism industry awards, including a prestigious Mercury Award from the U.S. Travel Association’s National Council of State Tourism Directors; a Gold Adrian Award for integrated marketing from Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International; and nine ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation.

“We were really happy with our Mercury Award, where we beat out Michigan and Oregon as finalists — two states whose tourism marketing budgets are among the top 10 largest in the nation and more than triple our budget,” Tuttell said.

“But it’s not just about awards, it’s about Impact,” he added.

Those exposed to the campaign through Visit NC’s paid or owned digital messaging (via advertising, website and social media channels) visited North Carolina at nearly 1.5 times the rate of control groups not seeing the campaign, Tuttell said.

Over the first 18 months of the campaign, traffic to Visit NC’s website from six target metropolitan markets outside North Carolina increased nearly 67% over the 18 months prior to the campaign.

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Visit North Carolina

For Real, Visit NC

Agency: Luquire

Description

We travel to discover new places, to create real emotional connections with others and to experience things that are new and different. But when a destination becomes too touristy, manufactured or lacks authenticity, those things start to become less rewarding. Everything about North Carolina is authentic. Our welcoming people, unique experiences, our culture, food and incredible scenic beauty. So if you’re looking for richer experiences, get real experiences. For real, Visit North Carolina.

This professional campaign titled 'For Real, Visit NC' was published in United States in May, 2023. It was created for the brand: Visit North Carolina, by ad agency: Luquire. This Film, Integrated, and Print media campaign is related to the Travel and Tourism industry and contains 7 media assets. It was submitted 4 months ago.

Brand: Visit North Carolina Agency: Luquire (Charlotte, NC) Chief Creative Officer: Glen Hilzinger Group Creative Director: Brad Williams Group Creative Director: Jenny Grant Creative Director / Art: Josh Taguiam Associate Creative Director/Copy: Jonathan Fernandez Head of Production/EP: Nancy Landesburg Director of Travel and Recreation Brands: Scott Gilmore Account Director: Kylee Sprengel Senior Project Manager: Katie Hamilton Social Media Account Executive: Maggie Carpenter Integrated Media Planner: Aly Svinte Director of Media: Nichole Maggio Production Company: Picture North Executive Producer: Neha Schultz Co-directors: Martin Rodahl / Ryan Patrick Unut Director / Drone OP: Simeon Pratt DP: Matthew Pothier Photographer: Kate Warren Video Editor: Christine Wolf

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NewsLink is an electronic publication that provides information to nearly 4,800 tourism industry leaders, media and government representatives across the state. It is emailed weekly and distributes valuable information on Visit NC's marketing and promotional efforts, tourism-related research, state, national and international trends, media leads, updates on conferences and events, and more.

Fill out the form below to subscribe for NewsLink.

Also included below are the previous NewsLink editions. Contact Kathy Prickett if you are looking for a previous edition not available here.

Previous Editions

May 2, 2024 -  Inaugural Destination Immersion program brings valuable information, experiences to all -  Visit NC webinar next week showcases the NC Civil Rights Marker program,…

April 25, 2024 -  Visit NC in Germany to promote new Lufthansa flight to RDU -  April webinar showcases NC Civil Rights Marker program, grants -  2024-25 Co-op Marketing…

April 18, 2024 -  North Carolina at Travel South Global Summit -  Visit NC PR team pitch generates coverage for Crystal Coast, Asheville -  Cucalorus, Full Frame among '50 film…

April 11, 2024 -  Visit NC’s April webinar this morning features the Outdoor NC Accessible Outdoors Program  -  Visit NC and Atlas Obscura produce ‘Podcast: Brown Mountain Lights’ …

April 4, 2024 -  2025 NC Travel Guide ad sales start -  Visit NC’s webinar next week features the Outdoor NC Accessible Outdoors Program  -  New York Media mini-mission yields…

March 28, 2024 -  Save the date for the 2025 Visit NC Tourism Conference in Hickory -  Visit NC’s April webinar features the Outdoor NC Accessible Outdoors Program  -  NCTIA’s silent…

1 2 3 4 5 … >>

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Advertising Campaigns

Each year, the Explore Asheville CVB manages an extensive advertising plan designed to create awareness and inspire overnight visitation.

Each dollar of advertising investment generates $43 of visitor spending at local businesses and $3.92 in tax revenue within six months of the campaign. Advertising leads potential visitors to ExploreAsheville.com to plan a visit. Buncombe County’s tourism-related businesses are represented free of charge on this website that attracts 7 million visits annually.

In addition to paid advertising, the Explore Asheville team promotes visitation to the Asheville area through media relations, social media, and content development. Follow us:  Visit Asheville on Facebook , Asheville on YouTube , @visitasheville on Instagram , @VisitAsheville on Twitter .

Operating on a July to June fiscal year, the Explore Asheville CVB finalizes the media schedule by June each year. All advertising proposals are vetted through our agency of record, MMGY Global. If you have a proposal you want considered for the upcoming fiscal year, please send all inquiries to: [email protected] .

A Sampling of Past Asheville Destination Advertising

Here in Asheville, we are a mixture of genres and a hybrid of styles. We’re creators in fields and in kitchens. In vinyl, glass, chocolate, and clay. We’re everyone for every single one. All drawn together to stand out. You are welcome.

Tourism industry partners are encouraged to share the Explore Asheville video assets through their social channels and on their websites via YouTube embed.

Digital Ads

Social Media Ads

Visit North Carolina

Experience Firsts That Last

Find your first.

Travel to North Carolina to experience firsts that turn into moments you’ll never forget. With lush mountain living, thriving cities and coastal sanctuaries, North Carolina is ready for you.

Plan your own action-adventure

Check out these trip ideas inspired by the Firsts That Last Films – each based on a true vacation in North Carolina.

BIKES & BREWS

Soak up glorious views or pour a round of local brews. Neither gets old in North Carolina.

ARTS & CULTURE

Take in the sights, sounds and charm that make NC uniquely unforgettable.

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

Your encore is calling. Catch the showstopping attractions all-across North Carolina.

FAMILY & FUN

Come together and make memories that last forever. From festivals to farms, NC is no stranger to family fun.

TASTES & TRAILS

Treat yourself to flavors and natural spaces you won’t find anywhere else.

ANIMALS & NATURE

Wild is the way to go in North Carolina. Spot beautiful species of plants and animals on your next trip.

Watch the films that inspired these trip ideas.

Hotels in North Carolina

Featured hotels, discover your perfect trip to north carolina, cookie consent.

This site uses cookies for analytics, personalisation and advertising. By continuing to browse the site, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more .

North Carolina Welcome Centers

Stop by one of nine North Carolina Welcome Centers for travel information on local and regional attractions, accommodations, events, dining options and more.

I-26 East N.C. Welcome Center

I-26 west n.c. welcome center, i-40 west n.c. welcome center, waynesville, i-77 north n.c. welcome center, i-77 south n.c. welcome center, i-85 north n.c. welcome center, i-85 south n.c. welcome center, kings mountain, i-95 south n.c. welcome center, fayetteville, i-95 north n.c. welcome center, pleasant hill.

Looking for something else? See our Plan Your Visit page for additional travel information options.

Ahead of Biden's visit, what Wilmington projects are in dire need of federal funding?

With President Joe Biden coming to Wilmington Thursday to address environmental issues and highlight ways his administration has helped repair the country's aging infrastructure, there are many different issues that could be of focus.

Biden is expected arrive around 3 p.m. and his remarks could address many issues impacting the city and surrounding Cape Fear region.

Here are some of the issues:

Cape Fear Memorial Bridge

While the N.C. Department of Transportation works on finishing up a $7.1 million preservation project on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, Wilmington officials have been discussing what it would take to build a new bridge to replace the 55-year-old downtown span.

With a potential cost over $400 million, one idea considered is to pay for it via a toll bridge, but local officials have spoken out in opposition to the idea.

Local officials will most likely have to tap into other sources of funding, including at the federal level, to build a new crossing.

PFAS filtration

Because Biden's visit will be focusing on environmental issues, it is likely that per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including GenX, could be a topic of discussion.

The StarNews published a story seven years ago that water in the Cape Fear River downstream of Chemours' Fayetteville Works Plant contained high levels of the, at the time, unknown chemicals.

Now, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority and H2GO that serve New Hanover and Brunswick counties, respectively, have boosted their infiltration systems to remove the manmade "forever chemicals" from public drinking water supplies. But ratepayers are on the hook for the upgrades, and new PFAS drinking water standards recently announced by the EPA could mean additional expenses for many municipal water systems.

Offshore wind

Offshore wind farms are planned along the coast of North Carolina to send "green" power onshore to meet the state's expected increase in demand on its power grid.

The goal is to help North Carolina meet its future power needs while reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

While the financial aspect of offshore wind is still uncertain, and work on the pair of wind farms off Brunswick County is still in the very early planning stages, Katharine Kollins, president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, said that offshore wind needs to be a key component in meeting the state's decarbonizing goals in House Bill 951 .

New Hanover County Schools' budget shortfall

New Hanover County Schools has been trying to find ways to address its $20 million budget crisis due to COVID-19 ESSER funds running out as well as the school district borrowing out of its fund balance in recent years.

Now, the school district could be receiving help from the New Hanover County commissioners to save 76 of the original 279 positions that otherwise would have had to be cut. The district also plans to cut 170 of the 279 positions by the end of June, with 80-90 of those positions already vacant.

Community members and those who work in education have been outspoken about the need for more funding at the local and state level, but with the extreme budget shortfall, public education could be on another area of discussion at the federal level.

Affordable housing

With a rising population, finding affordable housing in Wilmington has become a larger issue. In 2021, a study by Wilmington and New Hanover County's joint Workforce Housing Advisory Committee revealed that the county needs over 10,000 additional housing units over the next decade.

Nonprofit organizations and churches have recently been actively working on creating workforce housing for individuals so that they can afford to live the area they work in. Organizations have also been working on creating housing for low-income individuals.

NC Veterans secretary to assess whether to repair or replace Fayetteville veterans' home

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