Blakeman launches TV ad campaign to lure tourists to Nassau

Nassau County is betting a 30-second television commercial, featuring County Executive Bruce Blakeman, will boost the number of tourists that visit area beaches, restaurants, shopping malls and historic sites this year, Blakeman announced on Thursday.

Nassau is using $600,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funds to pay for the two-week campaign. The ad is airing in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arizona, upstate New York and the metropolitan area as well as on Newsmax, the right-wing news channel, he said at a news conference.

Blakeman presented the commercial, which includes scenes of beaches, golf courses, Roosevelt Field mall, the Americana Manhasset shopping center, restaurants, UBS Arena, Belmont Park Raceway and the Eisenhower Park bandshell, among others.

In the final three seconds, Blakeman introduces Nassau’s new tourism slogan: “Nassau County: Golden Coast to Coast.” As he speaks, a box at the bottom of the screen lists the names and titles of the county comptroller, county clerk and members of the county legislature.

Blakeman told reporters, unprompted, that he isn’t running for anything. “I’m not looking for another office. I love my job,” he said at the news conference.

The commercial can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ0M4txihbw.

The advertising campaign is independent from those run by Discover Long Island to promote both Nassau and Suffolk counties. 

Kristen Reynolds, president and CEO of Discover Long Island, the region’s tourism promotion agency for 40 years, said on Thursday that it “was not involved in this initiative as our contract with Nassau County expired at the end of 2022.” 

She added that Nassau is seeking vendors to provide tourism promotion services for this year and beyond, and that Discover Long Island has submitted a bid.

At the news conference, Blakeman said the TV commercial is airing in cities that are within a one-day's drive of the county, such as Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Ohio, and Rochester and Albany in upstate New York.

The ad also is being broadcast in Phoenix because Blakeman said when he visits family there, the people that he meets ask about Long Island attractions.

"It's about 115 degrees in Phoenix in the summertime and [residents] want to get the hell out," he said. "They want to go to someplace where they can enjoy a little cooler weather and the beaches [in Nassau] are a big attraction."

Blakeman said the next phases of the campaign will highlight economic sectors, such as health care institutions that provide specialized surgeries, kosher restaurants, golf courses and sporting events. He also said there will be a special advertising section in the Wall Street Journal about the benefits of doing business in Nassau.

The audience of about 100 business people and leaders of chambers of commerce at the news conference was generally receptive to Blakeman's proposal.

Hotel developer Paul Amoruso said the 30-second commercial will introduce would-be visitors to the county and hopefully increase tourism spending in the spring and fall.

"Until now, no one has put a campaign together to synergize all of the activities that we have," he said, adding his hotels will benefit from Blakeman's initiative.

Julie Marchesella, owner of Queens of Hearts Inc., a Merrick boutique that sells plus-size formalwear for women, said the new ad campaign will boost local downtowns. "Restaurants are really going to benefit the most because everybody loves to eat out," she said in an interview.

Gary Lewi, a public relations executive and board member of the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage, said Nassau's strategy of focusing on eight cities across the country with the commercial is a wise approach.

"Test-marketing is very healthy and helps determine where you should devote your resources going forward," Lewi, managing director at Rubenstein public relations in Manhattan, said in an interview.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.