WASHINGTON (AP) — The most-visited museums in the U.S. are about to launch their first-ever national advertising campaign to connect more people with the Smithsonian Institution online, in schools or in museums themselves.
The museum complex is unveiling its ad strategy Thursday. It includes a new tagline declaring the Smithsonian and its research are "Seriously Amazing" for learning. The goal is to reintroduce the museums as more than once-in-a-lifetime destinations.
By October, ads will appear on websites nationwide and on buses and billboards in five cities: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington. The Smithsonian is spending about $1.4 million on the campaign.
Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough says he wants the museums to be relevant to young people in the future. Research showed the Smithsonian's reputation sags among young people and racial and ethnic minorities.
