An idea from Lansing that was worth a full-page ad last month is now too toxic to touch.
The phrases "Pure Michigan" and "right-to-work" won't be united again in a state economic development ad, as they were Jan. 8 in the Wall Street Journal, Chad Livengood reports in The Detroit News.
"Any further advertising on that level or in that style has been put on hold," Jim McBryde, vice president of government affairs of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, told the House Tourism Committee Thursday morning.
The reversal follows follows criticism from his boss, the governor, and a public backlash.
The $144,000 ad, aimed at attracting employers, promoted the new right-to-work law as part of a "once-in-a-generation transformation" of the business climate. More like it were envisioned, Livengood notes:
The MEDC had plans for running more print ads in trade journals and regional newspapers in Chicago, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., targeting site selection companies, as well as using social media and direct mail to promote right to work, which makes financial support of a labor union optional.
The ad was roundly criticized by Democratic lawmakers and advertising experts who said it sullied the national image of Pure Michigan's TV ads showing the sandy beaches of the Great Lakes and recreational opportunities across the state.
Earlier coverage
Snyder Also Isn't a Fan of Using Pure Michigan Under a Right-to-Work Promo, Jan. 15
Ad Linking Pure Michigan And Right to Work Hits a Nerve, Sparking Online Outcry, Jan. 9
