PETERMAYER Celebrates Michigan in New Spot for Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau

Full service agency PETERMAYER is helping the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau celebrate a part of Michigan that a lot of consumers have probably never seen in a new commercial for the tourist organization’s The Right Way to Winter campaign. 

Nature, recreation, food and family come to life in this 30-second montage about the cold-weather awesomeness thriving in the northern tip of the state’s lower peninsula along Lake Michigan. “Winter is meant to be savored,” a voiceover declares. “Come up and let us show you how it’s done.” The accompanying visuals are a heartwarming alternative to the spot’s introductory reminder that snow can suck if you don’t take advantage.

“Our thing was to let the location speak for itself,” says Chief Creative Officer Matt Kuttan. “The area is a national treasure that includes six gorgeous towns and an abundance of raw beauty.”

THE RIGHT WAY TO WINTER PETOSKEY AREA VISITORS BUREAU

LIKE ASPEN, BUT CLOSER TO HOME

Boasting more nearly a million annual visitors, the Petoskey area is well known to Michiganders. Besides quaint historic villages — including Petoskey itself, which is nestled on Little Traverse Bay and has been listed among Smithsonian Magazine’s Best Small Towns to Visit — it offers ski slopes, mountain trails, sunsets, ziplines and exquisite cuisine, all of which are gorgeously displayed in the spot edited by Chicago’s Utopic. 

The Right Way to Winter intends to make sure that people beyond the immediate area know about the gem. It also inspired Kuttan to visit with his family for their annual “end-of-summer trip” during pre-production. 

“My kids and I could not believe that this is in Michigan,” he recalls. “It’s like Aspen, but closer to home. Once you go, you are hooked.” That’s a big compliment from a well-traveled man like Kuttan, who has lived in 10 countries and speaks five languages.

According to the Petoskey Area’s website, the destination is 370 miles from Chicago and 260 miles from Detroit. For more information, click here.

PETERMAYER is an independent, full-service agency of 80 employees headquarted in New Orleans, the “perfect place to stage revolutions, set up piracy outposts or open an advertising agency,” according to its website. Kuttan joined the shop as Chief Creative Officer in 2022. His previous experience includes staff and leadership positions at Leo Burnett, Saatchi X and Burrell.

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CREDITS 
Agency: PETERMAYER New Orleans
CCO: Matt Kuttan 
CEO: Michelle Edelman 
Director of Client Engagement: Adam Blankenship 
GCD: Maureen LaBorde 
Writer: Barrett Macgowan 
Art Director: Margot Bienvenu 
Designer: Chishan Jao 
Account Lead: David Crane 
Account Director: Erin Judd 
Strategy: Eric Camardelle 
Project Management: Bryan Rice 

Edit House: Utopic Chicago 
Editor: Katherine Pryor 
Producer: Heather Mitchell