"WEDC launches $1 million advertising campaign in Chicago"

Starting this week, young professionals in Chicago may see a new ad campaign on the subway, at the gym, on their phones or even on their beer coasters pitching Wisconsin as the place to be.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. launched the $1 million marketing campaign Monday — the first of its kind in state history — with a series of ads contrasting cramped subway cars and apartments in Chicago with cheaper rent and faster commute times in Wisconsin.

Gov. Scott Walker has called for an additional $6.8 million to expand the campaign to other cities.

The Assembly Committee on Jobs and the Economy is holding a public hearing Wednesday on the proposal.

The additional funds include $4.3 million for expanding the Chicago media campaign to Minneapolis and Detroit, and $2.5 million for a veterans traveling recruitment effort.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/wedc-launches-million-advertising-campaign-in-chicago/article_e3de7059-1f71-59e0-b936-171778a04a42.html#tncms-source=infinity-scroll-summary-siderail-latest



A supposed perception that Wisconsin is "filled with farms, bars, and cheese" isn't the problem.
Rather, it's the reality that young people starting their careers and families don't find the prospect of moving to one of the most oppressively red states in the country very appealing. When I travel I'm surprised by how often people express sympathy that I live in Wisconsin. It's often something like, "sorry" and "what's going on there?". People are well aware of what's been happening here since 2011. The WEDC ads are more about creating an image of Walker as a successful governor to boost his campaigns than anything else.