Congratulations to our friends at Colonial Williamsburg who launched a new campaign today, encouraging Americans to Be Part of the Story.

For more information contact:
Missy Farren & Associates, Ltd. (212) 528-1691
Holly Whidden, hwhidden@mfaltd.com
Samantha Lacher, slacher@mfaltd.com

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Seeks to Engage Audiences with
New “Be Part of the Story” Ad Campaign

(WILLIAMSBURG, VA – January 19, 2010) The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation debuts a new national advertising campaign on January 25, 2010, titled Be Part of the Story. The campaign is one component of a larger marketing plan to inspire national audiences to be curious and discover the depth of offerings from Colonial Williamsburg. The ads, created by McCann Erickson’s Midwest office for the not-for-profit educational institution and cultural destination, capture the quality, richness, and vibrancy of the Colonial Williamsburg experience, evoking sentimentality by illustrating its timeless values. Never before has the Foundation launched a campaign of this magnitude or caliber.

Be Part of the Story television commercials center on streets and doors, showcasing striking imagery from the historically significant Duke of Gloucester Street, to the gracious entrance of the renowned Williamsburg Inn. The campaign creative emphasizes that a visit to Williamsburg entails learning, inspiration and multiple appeals to the senses through music, gardens, dining, art and antiques, as well as the finest traditions of hospitality and recreation. Emotional connections are forged with consumers through the campaign, inspiring a growing number of people to become part of the story.

Colonial Williamsburg will also encourage guests to become part of the story with new and improved tools. The Foundation is collaborating with Ypartnership to release a mobile marketing solution built on Ypartnership’s proprietary technology platform called VisitMobile™. Users who download this free tool will be able to find points of interest, lodging, recreation, and shopping options using an interactive map keyed to their location. Up-to-date information on weather conditions, current and future events, and the latest offers and discounts will aid in trip planning, and visitors with feature phones will be able to use a text-messaging service to access much of the same information available to iPhone users. This solution would be positioned as the “official” mobile visitors guide for Colonial Williamsburg. The Foundation additionally continues its longstanding partnership with Mfa Ltd. Marketing and Public Relations, relying on PR to tell the story through events, cultural programming, hospitality offerings, culinary arts, licensed products, and more.

There are multiple opportunities for guests to be part of the story in 2010. There are four new exhibitions to the Colonial Williamsburg Art Museums; behind-the-scene tours of the Costume Design Center; additional Revolutionary City® programming; and the first full year of interpretive programs at R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse. Colonial Williamsburg’s hotels will continue to offer the finest experiences in dining, recreation and entertainment, including an expanded partnership with the Virginia Arts Festival, bringing celebrated musical artists to the Williamsburg community. The Foundation will also continue to be a force in the teaching of history, with the development of an exciting, new-technology-based curriculum for students, expanded teacher training programs and electronic field trips.

Be Part of the Story will debut on local broadcast and cable TV networks, local radio stations, and across a variety of print and online platforms. The advertising can be viewed at colonialwilliamsburg.com, coinciding with the launch.

For information about The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation visit colonialwilliamsburg.com


The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a not-for-profit educational institution and cultural destination dedicated to the preservation, restoration, interpretation and presentation of 18th-century Williamsburg, VA. The Foundation’s mission “that the future may learn from the past,” extends from within the Historic Area, to the first-class Colonial Williamsburg Hotels experience to lecture series in and out of Williamsburg. With the award-winning Revolutionary City®, Colonial Williamsburg demonstrates its commitment to expanding its thought-provoking programming as well as its dedication to cultural and historical authenticity. Williamsburg is an all-American destination; Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area provides guests with educational yet entertaining programming, the WILLIAMSBURG brand and shopping experience offers a variety of home products inspired by the destination, and the Colonial Williamsburg Hotels provide vacation-rich activities from spa and fine dining to world-class golf.