PHOTO: Rhode Island (not pictured) is catching heat for using footage from Iceland (actually pictured) in its advertising. (Photo via YouTube)
Rhode Island is catching some heat for its new promotional video, which correctly showcases the state's diversity and illustrates its new campaign slogan "cooler and warmer." However, by "cooler" we don't think they meant to refer to the completely unrelated northern nation of Iceland, which was mistakenly featured in the beginning of the clip.
Rhode Island just put the finishing touches on its new $5 million brand campaign and they are receiving some serious scrutiny for their choices. Not only did the promotional video showcase (albeit only for a few seconds) a far away country but, when the campaign debuted on Monday, social media erupted with criticism.
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Most of the criticism was heaped on a Providence, R.I.-based company IndieWhip, that was hired to edit the video. They posted an apology and also let viewers know that both the skateboarder and the videographer in the shoot hail from Rhode Island. An honest mistake? Maybe. You can see the video footage yourself.
But the mistakes didn't end there. According to WPRI in Rhode Island, critics said that the new VisitRhodeIsland.com website is riddled with errors, highlighting out-of-state restaurants, mislabeling private golf courses as public ones and employing some questionable statistics.
While Rhode Island ponders its mistakes, perhaps they should hire these guys to help promote the state.
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