Come Home, Louisiana

In 2014, Louisiana was experiencing an economic renaissance. Companies were moving to the state in record numbers, existing Louisiana business were expanding and the industrial mix was diversifying.

With this growth came a unique set of challenges—namely where to find the talent to fill all of the new jobs. In the fall of 2014, Louisiana Economic Development launched Louisiana Job Connection, a unique website that uses an algorithm to match job seekers with jobs that fit their skills and experience. But the state still needed to find talent from outside its existing workforce. 

Knowing that Louisiana has one of the strongest identities of any state and that people from Louisiana love their home state deeply, the team launched Come Home, Louisiana, which has since been re-named Here. Now. Louisiana. The campaign targeted at Louisiana ex-pats—specifically professionals between the ages of 25 and 50—who might be ready to move back home to be closer to family, food and festivals. 

 

social media

The campaign primarily existed on Facebook (73k likes) and Instagram and utilized iconic images, fun facts and nostalgic places and events to evoke memories from home. The accounts also post about jobs and companies that are hiring to drive traffic to Louisiana Job Connection.

EB Brooks, executive director of Lafayette Central Park, never thought the life she sought in Austin would turn out to be right here in Louisiana. EB rediscovered Louisiana's beautiful, inspiring scenery, from golden marshlands to sunsets in a cypress swamp - a unique landscape like nowhere else.

testimonial videos

One of the best ambassadors for moving home is someone who made the leap already. The Come Home, Louisiana campaign included brief testimonial videos of Louisiana residents who moved away because they thought they had no other option, but moved back for a job they want, in a place they love.

 

postcards and more

In addition to a small website presence and the social media accounts, the campaign included some in-kind billboard placements, a banner behind LSU baseball’s home plate and two postcard campaigns. Throwback postcards were created for each region of the state and included ad-lib style notes on the back. Parents, siblings, cousins and friends could fill them out and mail them to their Louisiana loves living far away. The postcards were inserted in regional newspapers in 2014 and then in LSU football programs in 2015.

To reach folks coming home for the holidays, the team developed selfie photo cutouts and placed them in most of the state's major airports. The cutouts were vibrant and strategically placed in the baggage claim area to grab travelers' attention. 

Awards:

  • 2015 Silver Telly Award:  Come Home, Louisiana Online Commercial 

  • 2015 Bronze Telly Award: Come Home, Louisiana Online Video Videography/Cinematography 

  • 2015 Bronze Telly Award: Come Home, Louisiana Online Video Commercial Promotional/Branding  

  • 2015 Gold Stevie Award: Come Home, Louisiana Marketing Campaign of the Year - Government / Institutional / Recruitment Category

  • 2015 District 7 Regional Addy Award: Come Home Louisiana Video Campaign  

  • 2015 District 7 Regional Addy Award:  Come Home Louisiana E.B. Brooks Video

  • 2015 Addy Award--Gold Award: Come Home Louisiana Video Campaign

  • 2015 Addy Award--Gold Award: Come Home Louisiana E.B. Brooks Video 

  • 2015 Addy Award--Gold Award: Come Home Louisiana Alix Gonsoulin Video

  • 2015 Addy Award--Gold Award: Come Home Louisiana Airport Display

  • 2015 Addy Award--Silver Award: Come Home Louisiana Digital Advertising Campaign

 

My role in the Come Home, Louisiana project was strategic development and planning, making creative suggestions, managing the agency teams, developing and approving content and promoting the campaign statewide.

Agency Partners: BBR Creative, Tommy's TV, STUN Design and Interactive, Click Here Publishing

Internal Team Members: Chelsea Harris, Jennifer Berthelot, Lauren Fournerat, Danielle Russo