The legislative crisis in Wisconsin has forced the state’s Democratic senators to hideout in neighboring Illinois, where the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (RACVB) has launched a “Hideaway in Rockford” campaign to seize this opportunity to market itself.

Hideaway in Rockford, Ill.

When they first decided to go on the lam, the Wisconsin senators headed straight for Rockford, Ill., 15 minutes south of the Wisconsin border, and holed up in the Best Western Clock Tower Resort and Conference Center.

The RACVB asked its advertising agency GrahamSpencer to quickly cut a video on the topic within 48 hours and launched a website and marketing campaign to make the most of the city’s time in the limelight.

The video features everyone from the mayor of Rockford Lawrence J. Morrissey and RACVB president and CEO John Groh to local Rick Nielsen, guitarist for Cheap Trick. It has scored 60,892 views as of the time of publishing.

The video begins with a series of people being asked whether they’re a Wisconsin state senator. Then it shows the mayor exiting city hall and being asked the same question, followed in turn by a few more people and, even, a sock puppet.

When the RACVB’s Groh is in front of the camera, he denies he’s one of the senators hiding out in Rockford and instead turns on his sales charm to explain why the legislators from Wisconsin and Indiana have been hiding out in Illinois—and in particular Rockford—touting his city’s micro-breweries, restaurants, nightclubs, sports venues and other attractions.

“We want people to come here and hideaway from whatever they’re trying to get away from,” says Groh. “We want folks to come to Rockford for their own legislation vacation. Rockford is full of opportunities for folks to do some collective bargaining at our locally owned stores and shops.”

Escape to Illinois

If you see the video, you’ll realize how smoothly it segues from making fun of the fugitive senators into a marketing pitch targeting visitors. Rick Nielsen wraps it up with a celebrity pitch about why he’s been hiding out in Rockford for more than 40 years.

To whip up some more media attention, the RACVB published a statement that tells visitors they can come to Rockford to explore “hideaway hotspots,” take advantage of “runaway rates” at local hotels and lists a bevy of activities they can indulge in while hiding out.

In related matters, an Illinois legislator has introduced a bill to tax the out-of-state legislators hiding out in the state. Illinois governor Pat Quinn does not see it that way, and says the Senators are not hiding out but simply visiting and that Illinois is happy to have them over for the visit.

Photo credits – RACVB

For more information, visit hideawayinrockford.com and gorockford.com.