WINONA, Minn. — Small town on the big stage — by now, everyone must know that the City of Winona, Minnesota made a big debut on the Super Bowl stage, thanks to Winona Ryder and Squarespace, a website development company.
Now that the ad has aired, the city is basking in its full glory.
It is difficult to capture the beauty of a place in just 30 seconds, but the Squarespace ad was an ad after all.
Pat Mutter, the Executive Director of Visit Winona said she is pleased with the ad.
"We talked to a lot of people about this and again, we just say to people that this was an ad," Mutter said. "A very well done ad. We were so extremely grateful for the opportunity to be in front of the Super Bowl audience."
Mutter said some folks have expressed to her that they didn't like the so-called grittiness that came off in the series of ads. On top of the version that aired during the Super Bowl, Squarespace made extra scenes and alternate versions of the ad available online.
"We have such amazing attractions and beauty and festivals and educational institutions and businesses," Mutter listed. "Outdoor recreation...so we really are a growing community."
However, Winona definitely isn't at a loss.
"We are an all-year-round destination and have great winter activities," Mutter said. "We want to invite everybody to come and visit and really get to know the true Winona."
To seize this opportunity, the city has now launched a new parallel website to the one Squarespace featured. The site is called welcometotherestofwinona.com. There you can find more pictures that capture the beauty of the City of Winona along with a way to purchase a picture book that the city is putting together to benefit local initiatives.
You can also find the sweepstakes there, to win an all-expenses paid trip to visit Winona for yourself. You can find the direct link to the sweepstakes here.