Cheers to the Wichita Downtown Development Corp. for its effective 30-second TV commercials portraying the city’s core as the lively, stylish place it now is. Backed by catchy original music by local performers Ken White, Fran Curtis and Shane Marler, the fast-moving spots snag attention and have viewers trying to name this or that shop or night spot. “We wanted to convey the energy and for people to kind of remember or maybe even discover new things they didn’t even realize were downtown,†Ann Keefer, vice president of marketing for the WDDC, told The Eagle editorial board.
Four spots in all will run through the holidays, and perhaps through 2008. People can watch them online, too.
Attempts to market Wichita as a happening place can seem forced. These ads don’t. “We kind of feel like a big city when we see them,†Keefer said.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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16 Comments
The backdrop for the ads will not be the real cool casino. That’ll be in rural Sumner County. Bet that’s where the next ads get shot.
I prefer Wichita as it is. As someone who’s lived in several big cities, I know what big cities are like. If Wichita became a big city there would be traffic congestion, increased crime, increasing cost of living, and ruder people. Why is Keefer so interested in making Wichita a big city?
Glad to see some marketing about Wichita, should have been done a long time ago.
What’s the point?
Our school board will shortly come along and deny the theory of gravity. Or the Phelps gang will protest at a small childs funeral for a kitten. And of course our Wichita Wingnuts will be all over the country advertising what a “happening” place Wichita is.
It’s people who try to stereotype everyone in a city as exactly the same, then tear it down so viciously that really destroy a place.
What an inane ignorant argument concerning dennis rader. Wichita is far from the only city that has had a serial killer in it’s midsts, and those cities include Seattle and New York. Your argument makes absolutly no since.
You state that Wichitans have an inferiority complex, then complain that the ads are only being run in Wichita. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the logic behind this. It’s Wichitans that need to be convinced that Wichita is a descent place before other people will believe it.
Does Wichita have it’s problems? Yes. Does it have it’s kooks? Yes. Does every city? YES!
Perhaps my recent location to a very small rural town for a job has given me a new perspective on things, but Wichita isn’t a bad place to be at all.
Ok, that’s really weird. The post I was reponding to (moon something or another at about 11:20) has seemed to disapeared.
jb… that IS weird… so I’m glad to use Opera Web Browser.. I was able to get Moonweed’s post from cache.
I don’t know why his post vanished, and we’ll see if mine disappears as well, because from here to the end is his/her post:
“Wichita isn’t the largest city in Kansas, it’s the biggiest small town in the state. Complete with small-town politics, small-town prejudice, small-town vision, and small-town outlook.
And these commercials that portray “Downtown Wichita, TV star” are running where? In *Wichita!* Nowhere else!
Because nowhere else would believe that, in fact, Wichita has some good qualities.
The damned arena, the stupid theme park, the failed convention center, the lost casino are all examples of how people with ideas for the town have tried to step up from “large small town” mentality. All those ideas — and some of them deserved it — have been quashed by the small-town mentality of Wichitans.
To be frank, as far as most Americans are concerned the people are Wichita are folks who lived in and around and with and who knew Dennis Rader for thirty years or more… and didn’t have a clue.
Denial? Ignorance? Blind acceptance of a “good church man?” An incompetent police force? A truly brilliant criminal mind? I dunno.
I remember, though, there were just as many Wichitans who were just as afraid of “The Poet” as they were of “BTK.” And this is the town that acquitted Bill Butterworth because (as the foreman of the jury explained) “Satan made him do it.”
I am not making this up.
Wichitans have an inferiority complex. And we’ve earned it.
A recent thread whining that Wichita wasn’t considered as a site for a Presidential Debate deteriorated into a heated argument over attack dogs. It resulted in a regular poster declaring, if you shot his dog he’d shoot you.
Because he never leaves home without packing heat.
That guy never leaves his house with fewer bullets than he has teeth. THAT is the reputation Wichita has earned.
So run the pretty pictures on TV. Remember the days when Susan Peters was cute. Hold on to that long-lost era when Wichita spawned entrapreneurs such as Stearman and Cessna and Beech and Coleman and Carney.
It ain’t gonna happen again. Not in this town.
Wichita is destined to become the 21st Century Colby.
Posted by: Moonweed | December 09, 2007 at 11:22 AM”
Thanks LTB, that makes me look a little less crazy.
I don’t believe advertisements about Wichita, not yet. The one
Epic Tower keeps reminding us to improve.
If we had the twin tall buildings, would our self image be better?
We have a future, but things need to be expensively created here making this a modern city.
Many chose our fate in the Casino vote, turning down many Millions of Dollars development money spent in this County. When property taxes are raised, remember that vote!
So what’s the alternative development? You can’t say No to the Casino and Arena. Hate gambling but want events to come here! We need basic events to happen in Wichita.
Concerts, college basketball tournament, gatherings with 15,000 people much as possible.
If Century II was already remodeled inside, the Bowling Tournament might be happening in 2011.
City abandoned paying for upgrades in Century II for a long time.
City didn’t fix their inner office politics and it cost them finally.
Wichita needs conventions in a modern Convention Center!
Want more business use of the airport so its less expensive for common travelers flying from here.
Costs at the airport caused business to leave Wichita in the past.
“Keeping Wichita as it is” that’s wrong!
The evidence, we existed too long with the poor Coliseum as other communities built modern Arena’s CHEAPER in the 90’s. Wait too long costs rise!
The Library says they don’t want to stay in the same place at all.
The Main Library has to improve and we need that. Satellite libraries will shrink in number but some could be larger to serve more people.
We need Museums keep turning over things to see. Citizens interested continue going back.
Participation there gives City and County the reason to fund them better. When Museums have less attendance, governments cut back spending.
When our Museums are failing, civic participation is breaking down in this community.
Plenty of restaurants, good museums and a modern Arena is basic civic business. We have a good zoo, it keeps improving!
We have questionable mass transportation. Some want a passenger train. Unless its a bullet train, I don’t want it.
Do we have good enough bus service, some don’t think so. Do people enjoy their taxi ride?
When travelers come to Wichita, do they want this City staying as it is? I’m sure some travelers demand this City has better hotel rooms.
We have “exotic” things still to construct. A modern college football stadium!
Modern financing project to fund WSU Football and related Women sports to comply with Title IX.
Finishing Kellogg and the Northwest Bypass built. Should 29th cross the River, yes!
We have to personally support high schools facilities. Business has to support them.
Wichita is slammed by other communities, the state of our schools. Some campus don’t have modern sports facilities.
Schools can’t stay as they are today!
The 5 best things about Wichita:1) QuikTrip2) New Keeper/Bridge3) Warren Theatres4) Restuarants5) Simple driving
“college basketball tournament, gatherings with 15,000 people”
HUH? I thought even you admitted that 15,000 will not attract a b-ball tourney.
Ben,
WSU and KSU can host small basketball tournaments during a season in the Arena.
Post season college basketball tournaments, the Big 12 and men’s MVC tourney if they move around after 2011 from St. Louis. Both events need 18,000 floor seats.
It would be crazy if Wichita could win those bids! County and SMG have to try!
Arena get KU to play an annual game with those increased seats.
;^)
Yea sure …
;^)
Yea sure …
OH boy, another Wichita infomercial con job. I say why don’t you people put up a web site for people to say why or why not anyone should live in or be happy with Wichita. Of course that would never happen, a lot of people don’t want the truth about Wichita on public display. Between the poor school system, high taxes, wasteful spending, amateur police farce and other lacking public services (like flouride in drinking water) I always encourage people to be somewhere else if they want to live.
“And this is the town that acquitted Bill Butterworth because (as the foreman of the jury explained) “Satan made him do it.”
I am not making this up.”
You are making that up. My uncle was on that jury.