The community perception of Downtown was it’s unsafe, there’s no parking, and there’s nothing to do. Adbiz created a campaign that would address these issues by using one of the University of Florida’s most beloved Presidents, John Lombardi, as well as other local celebs, stating on camera that there is a lot to do and plenty of parking Downtown … and there’s no worries, “it’s safe!”

We utilized print, radio and television for the campaign. Adbiz also produced a series of “donut” TV ads with the inside of each donut featuring two local, downtown businesses and what they had to offer. Over twenty local downtown businesses joined the campaign.

Adbiz also produced a jingle “Let’s Go Downtown … ‘Cause Downtown is YOUR Town!” that ran on various media. It also helped that Gainesville folks were wondering what happened to Dr. John Lombardi, so we had him say “A lot of folks are wondering where I’ve been … well, I’ve been in a place that has lots to do, is safe and has plenty of parking … Downtown!”

The campaign worked quite well, so well that another city in Georgia asked Adbiz to create a similar campaign for their Downtown area.