September 14, 2004
It's Worth It: Chicago Style

Via Ginger, the Chicago Tribune explores the Houston: It's Worth It campaign. I can't tell you how happy I am that they took the initiative to contact Elyse Lanier to ask her what she thought of this campaign. Her answer is everything you'd expect:


The last time Houston's slogan got much attention was in 1997, when Elyse Lanier--wife of former Houston mayor Bob Lanier--led a $5 million effort to boost the city's image. Her group's catchphrase: "Houston. Expect the Unexpected."

"When people ask me about Houston, I tell them about the theater district or the medical center," Lanier said. "I don't even acknowledge that cockroaches are alive. . . . It would never occur to me to talk about mosquitoes."


That's because there are no cockroaches or mosquitoes in River Oaks, dear. The private security guards keep them out.

Lanier was calling from Malibu, where she was vacationing at the beach to escape the brutal summer here. She admits that Houston in August is miserable, but to build an ad campaign around the sweltering heat "would not be my approach," she said. "I prefer to focus on the positive, but I hope whatever they do works."

"Sometimes, no sarcastic remark seems adequate." -- Dogbert

UPDATE: Kevin notes that this was actually an LA Times article which was picked up by the Chicago Trib (among other papers), and he has his fun with Elyse Lanier and Jordy Tollett as well.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on September 14, 2004 to Elsewhere in Houston | TrackBack
Comments

Someone should remind Elyse that Malibu, for a variety of reasons, has no central sewage system. Yep, every house has to have a septic tank, just like a doublewide in New Caney. Things have gotten so bad that the beach consitentley fails the state standard for giardia, cryptosporidium and fecal coliform.

"Malibu: Expect the Unexpected"

Posted by: chris on September 14, 2004 11:22 AM

That's not an original Trib story, but one that several newspapers have now picked up from the LA Times (which the Trib points out).

Posted by: kevin whited on September 14, 2004 11:54 AM

Remember the "Houston Proud" campaign? The most amusing thing I saw come out of that was when Radio Music Theater did a show featuring "Houston Smug"! I think I still have the button around here somewhere...

Posted by: Christine on September 14, 2004 1:13 PM

I'm pleased to the point of smugness to say that I have a "Houston Smug" button. It's on my MOB fedora. I love RMT.

Posted by: Charles Kuffner on September 14, 2004 1:32 PM