Pure Michigan is the nationally known brand of the State of Michigan, administered by the state's marketing arm, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Since 2006, Pure Michigan advertising has described the wonders of Michigan but in 2011 MEDC began bringing all of its activities under the popular brand, voted one of the 10 best destination brands ever by Forbes Magazine.
Other famous state branding efforts such as Virginia is for Lovers and I Love New York similarly began as tourism-focused campaigns while Don't Mess With Texas began as an anti-littering campaign. But in each case, the brands expanded beyond their original goal to become synonymous with their states. Gov. Rick Snyder in early 2011 signed as one of his first pieces of legislation a $25 million per year source of funding to support Pure Michigan advertising, marketing and communications efforts. For example, in June, MEDC launched Pure Michigan Business Connect, a $3 billion effort to make people and resources. In August, MEDC was the title sponsor of the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Pure Michigan began as an advertising campaign which was launched in 2006[1] by the state of Michigan featuring the voice of actor & comedian Tim Allen.[2] The Pure Michigan campaign, which aims to market the state of Michigan as a travel and tourism destination, received state and international attention beginning in 2008[3][4][5][6][7] when Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm approved $45 million in additional funding for the Pure Michigan campaign[8] - an unprecedented tourism budget for the state, allowing the Pure Michigan campaign to be broadcast on a national level beginning in March 2009[9]
Pure Michigan also refers to the brand created by Travel Michigan and embodied by the organization's website. The site was relaunched in March 2008 to support the Pure Michigan brand.[10] Travel Michigan is itself a division of The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (The MEDC), a state-funded organization founded in 1999 to support the economic development of Michigan.[11]