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May 13, 2008

CONTACT:
Seth Harvey
225-342-8153
sharvey@crt.state.la.us

BATON ROUGE- Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu unveiled a brand new Louisiana tourism ad campaign in cities across the state today, featuring well-known Louisiana chefs, musicians, actresses and NBA players who offer their tips on what visitors should see and do while in Louisiana.

"We are blessed with unbelievably talented and fun people in Louisiana who all have their own favorite places to eat, dance, listen to music, fish and hunt here in their home state," said Lt. Governor Landrieu. "When Chef John Besh tells you Louisiana has perfect gumbo and Honey Island Swamp is magical, you want to try the gumbo and visit Honey Island Swamp. And when NBA greats Willis Reed and Karl "the Mailman" Malone say there's nothing like 'kicking back with a big, fat Louisiana Bass' or 'camping in the great outdoors of Louisiana,' you want to fish and camp where they do. . This is "insider information" and we're sharing it with the world."

The current insiders in the campaign are Chef John Besh, actress Faith Ford, Chef John Folse, musician Amanda Shaw, Grammy award winner Terrence Simien, and NBA greats Karl "the Mailman" Malone, Willis Reed and Chris Paul. The multimedia campaign includes television, print ads and interactive. Eventually the campaign will feature new insiders offering their personal tips on their favorite things to see and do around the state.

"I was pleased to be asked to represent the state in the "My Louisiana" Campaign as I was able to tell a story about Louisiana that would draw visitors to 'My Louisiana' - a place that truly no other state in this country can claim," said Chef John Besh. "I was born and reared east of New Orleans in Slidell in a family with several siblings and relatives. I've been able to explore beyond the Crescent City due to my visits to see family and friends. It has brought me to learn about the culture and people within this great region. We each have an Iconic Louisiana as we all love it for different reasons. It could be the accents of the ladies behind a Po-boy counter in the Irish Channel, or the smell of a crawfish boil on the river's edge in Plaquemine parish or a father and son fishing on the banks of Grand Isle. It's all good and it's all My Louisiana," Besh added.

"I travel all over the world and besides asking me what my favorite dish to cook is, people ask me all about Louisiana. I tell them there is no place like it on earth. You've gotta come to a festival- Zwolle Tamale Festival in Zwolle or Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula. It's how we celebrate our food. Come and visit my Bittersweet Restaurant or eat somewhere my friends and I eat like - Poche's Market and Restaurant in Breaux Bridge. You just need to come see My Louisiana," said Chef John Folse.

The Office of the Lt. Governor and the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism tested various marketing concepts to arrive at the "Celebrity Insider" campaign concept. Research revealed that potential visitors to Louisiana wanted more information about what there was to see and do in the state and they especially wanted to know what Louisiana locals do for fun. This campaign answers those questions by letting well-known faces from Louisiana share personal travel tips on the areas where they have lived and know best. No matter where you travel, no tip is more valuable than the insider's.

The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism has budgeted approximately $6 million in domestic consumer media promoting the My Louisiana campaign this fiscal year. The campaign will run in national print magazines, national cable networks and high target television markets.

The state is also encouraging visitors to seek out their own favorite things to see and do during their visit, write about it and submit it as part of a worldwide contest. The top 10 winners will receive two tickets to the 2009 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and two nights' stay in Harrah's Hotel or one of their fine partners. The subject of the entry must be: "Your Louisiana," describing the places and things you enjoy about Louisiana and can be no more than 500 words. A booth at this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival invited festival participants to create their own "My Louisiana" ad by posing with various props associated with the ad campaign. The photos were then emailed to the participants who were encouraged to submit their "My Louisiana" story worldwide contest for a chance to win and also be featured on www.LouisianaTravel.com.