It’s Our Thing

When this Chicago-area native came to the Twin Cities to stay in the early 1980s, there was much that delighted me. And much that mystified me. Like: Why are the natives so obsessed with local TV newscasters and their lives? (Mostly in a non-prurient, concerned-family-member sort of way.)

And: Why is Minneapolis so culturally nervous? What’s with this “Minne-Apple” stuff? Why the constant fawning references (at least among the creative-class types of the time) to New York? Why this enduring worry about being perceived as provincial flyoverlanders?

Keep in mind that this from an outsider’s perspective: I surmise that for much of the past two or three decades, the Twin Cities were running a little too long on its 1970s moments in the sun: The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the Time cover with then-Governor Wendell Anderson and his big fish.

The national successes of Target, Prince, ad shop Fallon, the Twins' World Series victories, and the med-tech industry kept that old ’70s model going for a few more thousand miles. But by the beginning of the 21st century, the tank seemed to be down to a last few drops of cultural and economic gasoline. Were we losing our Fortune 500s? Was the high-tech revolution passing us by?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but we not only seem to have refilled the tank—we’ve gotten a sweet new set of wheels. In the past two or three years, even with the recession, the TCs seem to be undergoing something of a renaissance. My evidence?

• Cool new buildings and reclaimed river frontage in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. (New stadia, too.)

• The State Fair breaks attendance records. Sure, we’ve always loved the Fair. But this year, we adored it. Was it because it was a cheap staycation? Did the nice ads at the Nicollet light-rail station help make it appealing to hipsters? (At least part of the credit must go to the Bacon Chocolate Conan O’Brien Head.) Probably all of the above. My theory: Minnesotans embraced the Fair because it was ours—a reflection of our own culture. No one else’s.

• There’s a reason why this blog’s been focused on the local marketing/creative scene—despite the recession, and the suffering of many agencies (mostly the big ones), the creative scene is doing a lot of exciting stuff. Recently, local shop Pocket Hercules was named Advertising Age’s Midwest Agency of the Year. Locally headquartered companies like Target, Best Buy, General Mills, and Caribou are among those embracing “the new creativity.”

• And after a couple of decades since Minnesota regularly sent candidates to the presidential primaries (Humphrey, McCarthy, Mondale—I can’t make myself count Stassen), it looks like we may be ready to contribute again. No pressure, Governor! (After all, none of those guys actually became president.)

Don’t catch a cold from my pompon waving. Our unemployment rate is too high, and there are still far too many parking lots in the central city (particularly in Minneapolis).

Still.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend from San Francisco came to Minneapolis on business. After dining alfresco at Spoonriver, steps from the old flour mills, we strolled by the riverside, which my pal compared (favorably, I think) to Berlin, past the new Federal Reserve, and then beside the park in front of the old Fed. Crickets were cheerfully chirping. We ended up at his hotel, the Westin in the old Farmers and Mechanics Bank. (Aesthetically, at least, the best hotel in town, IMHO.)

I think he was starting to think San Francisco was maybe, well, a little past-tense.

BTW: A key piece of evidence revealing the local interactive community's amazing superpowers—Migrate 09, the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association's annual Summit, which will take place October 5, is sold outat 1,000 attendees. (Last year’s sellout was 600.) Fellow thought leader (well, fellow bald guy) Seth Godin is one of the speakers, which is undoubtedly part of the event's appeal. Can’t get in? They’ll be live-streaming and podcasts. Glad I got my press pass.

Comments

[Mandy Kennedy]

I love this piece. Thanks for mentioning the Bacon Chocolate Conan O'Brien head that our local brand, No Name, created and sent to the Tonight Show - that was great publicity for Minnesota & showed what a fun sense of humor the state has!

[Heather Olson]

I'm with you, Gene. Despite the fact that I've moved every few years since my birth in Cleveland and teen years in Chicago, I've stayed put in Minnesota. The wanderlust is gone—every cultural amenity is here. My drive to find new friends is satiated—and accommodated every time I attend a business networking event or join a community group. In fact, Patrick Coyne, editor and designer of Communication Arts Magazine in Palo Alto, CA, was in town the other night and told an audience of 250 Minnesota designers that our professional “camaraderie” is what sets Minneapolis-St. Paul apart from other major cities. What’s not to like about that?