New (Unofficial) Yellowstone Country Ranger Guides Tourists Through Their Montana Adventures
While sharing a message and examples of recreating responsibly
By Denise Rivette
As the Summer tourist season gets underway opening the gates for hordes of visitors, Yellowstone Country has unleashed their latest ad campaign to promote the amenities available in our region and responsible ways to enjoy them. Yellowstone Country is the portion of Montana’s tourism effort that promotes tourism in Carbon, Gallatin, Park, Sweet Grass and Stillwater counties. Their new campaign employs an (unofficial) Yellowstone Country Ranger to welcome and educate visitors to our area. She has her own page on the Yellowstone Country website that is entertaining and informative.
Although the ranger doesn’t share her name, she shares her excitement for our region as she informs tourists, and reminds residents, about responsible recreation.
“It's also my job to help visitors understand the importance of recreating responsibly in Yellowstone Country — to keep it the special place that it is while making your trip a safe and enjoyable one.
If you've never visited or lived in a place with the kind of pristine wilderness that Montana's Yellowstone Country has, you might not be familiar with the concept of recreating responsibly. Lucky for you, I'm here to share the set of principles we follow in this natural wonderland. So let's jump right in, shall we?”
First Video Advertising Spot For Yellowstone Country 2024
She goes on to explain the following principles:
Know before you go. (Having a lay of the land and the weather forecast is handy out here.)
Stay on the trails. (They're basically the red carpets of nature.)
Play it safe. (No need to be a hero.)
Pack it in, pack it out. (Mother Nature hates a mess.)
Wildlife safety. (This is not a petting zoo.)
Prevent wildfires. (Spark conversation, inspiration or romance — not flames!)
Leave it as you find it. (No “finders keepers” out here!)
Love Montana Back. (It's the Montana Way.)
“Montana's Yellowstone Country is a special place and we want to keep it that way for you, for all our visitors and for the folks who call this place home. Please respect our lands and communities and be kind and courteous to everyone you cross paths with.”
Yellowstone Country and the other tourism regions in the state are funded by the hospitality bed tax as a way for Montana tourism to pay for its own industry’s promotion and to promote Montana as a whole.
The (Unofficial) Ranger campaign was designed and implemented by Windfall, a full service advertising agency out of Missoula with a “strict policy against boring.” According to their website, “We’re about 90% method and 10% madness, depending on the day.” They also state, “We’re a small-town agency that produces big results, and we’re pretty damn proud of it. We work hard. We have heart. We care deeply.” It shows in this campaign.