California Tourism Ads

Link to ads.

I was dumbfounded to read this in the Sacramento Bee (highlighted in bold):

On millions of screens, it's former movie actor and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pitching the tourist attractions and lifestyles of California.

"Nandemo Alifornia," Schwarzenegger says in Japanese in the new ads running on network TV in Tokyo and national cable channels. It translates as "California has it all."

The two ads, which began appearing Friday in the nation of 128 million people, are the first ever in Japan by the California Travel and Tourism Commission. They run through June 29, part of a $5.1 million campaign in the country.

The first ads ever? Is this a joke? What does the California Travel and Tourism Commission do if its hasn't been promoting California tourism, in Japan, using television, since at least the 1950's? Please! The only excuse for this oversight would be if it was a new office, or if it didn't have a budget.

The office was apparently formed in 1998 as a partner with the California Division of Tourism. So it's not a state agency as such, but a joint public/private non-profit 501(c)6 organization.

So, fairly-new office appears to be the explanation. But it would seem quite odd if it had never occurred to anyone until now to promote California tourism in Japan.