The state of Ohio really wants Seattleites to move to the state of Buckeye — even the tech bros.
A new JobsOhio ad campaign airing during the March Madness basketball tournament targets Seattleites specifically, wondering why anyone would want to stay in an expensive coastal city when Ohio beckons.
The ad features a confused Seattle tech named Yuchi telling a group therapy session that he’s returning to Seattle after networking and seeking venture capital in Ohio’s tech scene, leading the session’s advisor to note that “Ohio denial really is.”
“My Seattle office is sick,” Yuchi tells the group. “I’ve been working from home for about two years now and I realize I didn’t really remember why I lived there.”
The narrator begins to declare, “They always end up coming to Ohio, even the tech bros.”
Let’s pause here for a second to think about the authenticity of the ad, because the record needs to be straightened out.
First, Ohio is hardly a destination for Seattle entrepreneurs looking for capital. And second, Buckeye state — which is nearly four million more residents than Washington state — attracted $2.3 billion in venture capital last year in 181 deals, according to the Venture Monitor report. Washington state raised $8.5 billion in 549 deals.
The ad directs people to join the conversation on #LastStrawStory on social media, with some less-than-flattering responses already popping up. The new JobsOhio campaign also has similarly themed ads targeting Austin and Los Angeles, including one featuring a recent Ohio transplant named Graham, who is complaining that he lost his fourth bid on an Austin home to a tech. brother.
The JobsOhio YouTube page offers a little more insight into the ad campaign:
If you’ve been working from home for the past two years, you may be wondering what you still do in your big coastal city. That’s how we are. When you tweet us your #LastStrawStory during March Madness or OhioIsForLeaders.com, you’ll learn more about life in the state of Buckeye, from comparing cities like Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo to imagining yourself in a great new job with a short commute . We’re saving a seat for you in Ohio… yes, even for the tech bros.
We’ve seen this direct approach to the Buckeyes in the past. JobsOhio also posted billboards around Seattle for the past year, including one that read, “Live where you can actually save for a rainy day.”
Editor’s Note: I spent the first 18 years of my life in Ohio and still come a few times a year. It’s a nice place. But I stick to this maxim: “Ohio is a nice place to come from.”
This post Ohio ad campaign targets Seattle ‘tech bros’ – asking why anyone would want to stay in a major coastal city
was original published at “https://www.geekwire.com/2022/ohio-ad-campaign-targets-seattle-tech-bros-questions-why-someone-would-want-to-stay-in-a-big-coastal-city/”
