A new campaign has been launched in Detroit aimed at getting Americans to come over to Windsor for a casual night out.
Several business improvement associations, Tourism-Windsor-Essex Pelee Island and the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation have launched the "More Windsor Campaign" which is a $70,000 initiative that includes traditional and digital ads to get Americans to cross the border to shop, eat, stay and play.
The campaign is unique because it is aimed at getting people to the BIA's, the independent businesses and mom and pop shops.
Chair of the Pillette Village BIA Greg Plante says the strong American dollar is an added incentive for Americans to cross the border.
"Bringing people into independent businesses, getting them out to events and seeing the little hidden treasures that exist inside Windsor-Essex and making them realize that they can get more for their dollar over here," he says.
"Windsor is not cheap, it is a bargain."
11 partners launch the More Windsor Campaign. July 2017
Ward 3 Councillor Rino Bortolin says Detroiters should realize that Windsor is Detroit's best suburb.
"When you go over to Detroit, you often go over for dinner on a Tuesday night, just a quick over the border or downtown. Sure we go over for events and concerts and things like that but we are used to going over shopping and going over for lunch," he says. "There is no reason that shouldn't happen the other way around."
The initiative will run from July to October, at which point, the partners will evaluate the campaign.