Ad campaign asking skiers, snowboarders to 'Find Your Greatest' in Utah


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SALT LAKE CITY — When Brolin Mawejje emigrated from this native Uganda 10 years ago, he never dreamed that one day he would be an X-Games competitor, an Olympic hopeful and one of the stars of a statewide marketing campaign for — of all things — snowboarding.

The 22-year-old Westminster student and aspiring doctor is among six Utah ambassadors featured in an array of video ads being launched by the state tourism office touting Utah's winter recreation advantages.

Before moving to the U.S., Mawejje said he had never thought of snow. For the most part, kids in Uganda run track or play soccer, he explained. Then as a young boy, he and two siblings were sent to America, eventually settling in the Boston area. He was adopted by the family of his best friend. As it turns out, they were avid skiers, so he gave it a shot.

"(At first) I tried out skiing for a few weeks and just drifted toward snowboarding," he said. Now years later, he is hooked and has his sights set on representing his homeland in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

"My chances are good," he said. "I've been competing on the (International Ski Federation) world tour and I have to make the top 30 (competitors) from Uganda."

He admitted that he doesn't have a lot of competition since few people in Uganda have ever even seen snow.

"I think my chances of going (to the Olympics) are great," Mawejje said. "The question is, 'How well will I do at the Olympics?'"

Brolin Mawejje, snowboarder, attends the unveiling of the state's 2014-15 winter national campaign dubbed "Find Your Greatest" at the Backcountry.com distribution center in West Valley City on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014. Mawejje stars in one of the "Find Your Greatest" advertisements. (Photo: Laura Seitz, Deseret News)
Brolin Mawejje, snowboarder, attends the unveiling of the state's 2014-15 winter national campaign dubbed "Find Your Greatest" at the Backcountry.com distribution center in West Valley City on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014. Mawejje stars in one of the "Find Your Greatest" advertisements. (Photo: Laura Seitz, Deseret News)

Until that time, he is grateful for the opportunity to showcase Utah's winter recreation scene and vibrant nightlife during his 60-second spot. The ad shows Mawejje shredding in deep powder on the slopes of Brighton resort with friends before traveling into downtown Salt Lake to enjoy some apres ski time at a Main Street bistro.

The ads were previewed during a news conference Wednesday at the distribution center for Utah-based ski retailer Backcountry. State officials, including Gov. Gary Herbert, debuted the state’s 2014-15 winter national campaign before it officially hits the national market next month.

The campaign, dubbed “Find Your Greatest,” features six Utah individuals, each personalizing their experiences on "the Greatest Snow on Earth."

Beginning Nov. 1, digital billboards and digital ads will be released nationwide to skiers and snowboarders, said Vicki Varela, director of the Utah Office of Tourism. Then in late December, ads will be shown on television in Boston, Los Angeles, New York and San Diego.

"This is a new way to tell the ski story that personalizes your particular interest whether you're a snowboarder or a skier," she said. "This shows the authentic Utah story."

Besides Mawejje, the campaign also features Paralympian champion Chris Waddell, gold medal winning U.S. snowboarder Sage Kostenburg, pro skier Sierra Quitiquit, Backcountry CEO Jill Layfield and her ridiculously cute 7-year-old daughter Madeleine, as well as a certain Hall of Fame basketball player receiving a special delivery while enjoying some luxury time on the patio at Deer Valley.

Varela said tourism in Utah is a $7.5 billion industry, employing an estimated 132,680 Utahns, and last year generated $1 billion in state and local tax revenue. The goal of the campaign is to help boost tax revenues to $1.2 billion by 2018, she said.

"We've got to do really great, creative and innovative digital (ads), but I think we can get there," she said.

Varela noted that the recent purchases of Canyons Resort by Vail Resorts Management Co. and Solitude Mountain Resort by Deer Valley Resort Co. will only help bolster Utah's winter recreations industry by raising the level of overall value for prospective visitors.

"Vail is one of the biggest (names) in the industry and we know we can expect a lot from them in terms of the quality of the skier experience," Varela said. "Of course Deer Valley is Deer Valley luxury. For them to be investing in Solitude, it's all amazing stuff for us."

Contributing: Keith McCord

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