HAMILTON ARTIST AND 2007 JUNO AWARD WINNER TOMI SWICK IN NEW ADS ONTARIO GOVERNMENT INVESTS IN DOMESTIC TOURISM CAMPAIGN

 

HAMILTON– The McGuinty government is encouraging Ontarians to holiday in the province this year by investing in new tourism ads featuring local artist Tomi Swick, Tourism Minister Jim Bradley announced today.

The domestic tourism campaign was launched in March and has become one of the most popular government promotions ever for its television commercials component, featuring Ontario artists. The new ads begin airing June 4th , which is Tourism Week in Canada.

 “This campaign is helping to boost tourism in Ontario,” said Bradley. “The McGuinty government realizes the importance of tourism to communities across Ontario. It promotes economic growth, supports small business and contributes to building strong communities.”

The new segment of the campaign features Hamilton artist Tomi Swick, who won the 2007 Juno Award for Best New Artist.  He also took home 2007 Canadian Radio Music Awards for Best New Group or Solo Artist – MAINSTREAM AC and Best New Solo Artist – HOT AC, both for his song,  “A Night Like This.” Swick was born in Hamilton to a blue collar family who instilled a strong sense of pride and tradition. A former high-school jock who passed on a career in football to focus on music, Swick was signed by Warner Music Canada and released his first full-length album “Stalled Out in the Doorway” in 2006.

“I am proud to be in an ad that promotes Ontario because there is no place like this,” said Swick. “It’s great to see the government showcasing Ontario artists, and since I am such a big Ontario and Hamilton promoter, it made sense for me to be involved in the Ontario tourism campaign.”

The 2007 multi-media tourism campaign includes television ads, cinema ads, a print campaign, billboards, and web marketing. Print ads also appear in several languages. Vacationers can order a customized Ontario Travel Guide with summer travel experiences and packages online at www.ontariotravel.net. Visit today and register for a chance to win a 10-day summer vacation road trip and $2,500 to cover meals and gas. The contest ends June 15th.

The McGuinty government has also invested in 57 festivals and events across the province that received programming funding of up to $75,000 and marketing funding up to $18,750 from the new Celebrate Ontario initiative.

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Contacts:
David Oved, Minister’s Office, (416) 314-1400
Gary Wheeler, Communications Branch, (416) 325-8391