Chicago Unveils First-Ever TV Ad Campaign Aimed At Upping Tourism (VIDEO)

Chicago has launched its first-ever TV ad campaign aimed at attracting new visitors to the county's third largest city, even during the typically harsh winter.

The Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau's $1.8-million ad campaign launched last week with a new 30-second television spot specifically targeted toward females aged 35 to 54 who live within a day's drive of the city, Crain's Chicago Business reports.

"With a city like this, you'd better bring your 'A' game," the campaign's centerpiece 30-second spot proclaims. "Come see why Chicago is second to none."

(Scroll down to watch the ad.)

In addition to running ads on television through early March, the campaign, helmed by Downtown Partners Chicago, also consists of digital advertising, an expanded ChooseChicago.com and other media relations.

The city's tourism bureau described the campaign, also featuring spots featuring the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier and Broadway in Chicago, as "a key component of the first true branding effort highlighting the City of Chicago as a visitor destination."

"Chicago is clearly among the premier visitor destinations in the world," Don Welsh, CCTB president and CEO, said in a statement announcing the campaign. "We are taking aggressive steps towards harnessing the city’s marquee assets into impactful tourism spending in Chicago. We are laser-focused on the goal and that is to increase the number of visitors to Chicago, which in turn will drive additional tax revenue for the City."

According to the CCTB, 124,000 jobs, $616 million in tax revenues and $11.1 billon in direct spending are a product of the city's tourism industry in 2010.

The bureau is expected to report back on the campaign's effectiveness in April.

Photo by Yinghai via Flickr.

WATCH the Chicago tourism bureau's first TV spot: