New York, NY — The Alabama Tourism Department took over the heart of the Big Apple last week with a major marketing push throughout Manhattan. Using several unique strategies, the campaign set to send a little bit of the Alabama experience north of the Mason-Dixon to give the Yankees a taste of a southern vacation.

“What the Alabama Tourism Department did was reveal the true Alabama to an entirely new audience,” Governor Bentley wrote in a press release. “This campaign was innovative in its approach to reaching new audiences. I hope that some of those introduced to our ‘Great State’ last week will soon make their way here to experience all Alabama has to offer.”

The tourism department commandeered one of the city’s famous double-decker buses and integrated the sights and sounds of Alabama into its design. The bus offered New Yorkers a “tour” of Sweet Home Alabama and gave them the chance to compare the hustle and bustle of New York to the relaxed, savory experience of a trip through the Yellowhammer State.

“Touring a whole state while visiting a different city, in a different state altogether, seems like an impossible feat,” said Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department. “But we brought the sights and sounds of Alabama with us, and are eager to have people walk away feeling excited about a new vacation destination.”

The city also had two Alabama themed events: one replicating Alabama’s Gulf Coast and another offered Yankees a taste of southern home-cooking.

Alabama even took over the airwaves. City commuters who tuned into radio station 87.9 FM, within a 400-foot radius of an interactive billboard, could listen to enticing and relaxing sounds from all over Alabama.

“It was an amazing week of experiences, engaging with locals and tourists alike,” Sentell said. “We feel like we reached a new audience of travelers and educated them on what makes Alabama an ideal travel destination, through distinctive one-of-a-kind experiences and a touch of Southern hospitality.”