New ad showcases a date night in historic downtown Davenport
Where can you shop for a cool pair of kicks, visit Iowa’s oldest brewpub, dine at a trendy new restaurant, watch a sunset from a rooftop bar and rock out to a live Irish band?
Downtown Davenport, of course! And that’s the exact itinerary two Quad Cities-based 30-something couples followed on a recent date night. A new 30-second TV ad part of an ongoing promotional series highlights their stops at The Full Kit, Front Street Brewery Tap Room, Half Nelson, UP Skybar and the Redstone Room at River Music Experience.
Following this year’s record-breaking flood, Mediacom/OnMedia Advertising and the Quad-City Times pitched the "Go Downtown!" advertising campaign to the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP), a division of the Chamber. The media companies, both of which are Chamber members, offered their services and platforms free of charge to help drive more traffic to downtown businesses.
The video production didn’t require too much acting or preparation by either of the participating couples.
“Honestly, those are places we frequent anyway,” said Manisha Harmsen, who is accompanied in the video by her husband, Ryan, and their friends Kyle and Courtney Maxson. “There are tons of things to do, and there’s variety, which is what everybody’s looking for.”
The Harmsens, who met at St. Ambrose University and lived in New York City before moving back to the Quad Cities in 2014, also enjoy how walkable downtown Davenport has become in recent years.
“It’s easy to get around and explore for four or five hours,” Ryan Harmsen said, encouraging others to follow their lead. “Whether you want food and drink, retail or entertainment, go experience it for an afternoon or an evening, and you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
The first ad in this series broadcast family-friendly activities and destinations in downtown Davenport. The third and final ad of the campaign will target millennials and members of Generation Z.
After a challenging year due to flooding, Tim Baldwin, co-owner of Front Street Brewery, said the advertisements should help “reacquaint people with downtown.” While its West River Drive brewery and tap room is featured in the latest promotional video, Front Street’s East River Drive location – Iowa’s oldest brewpub – is on the verge of reopening.
Closed for seven months during their busiest time of year, Baldwin estimates they lost about $850,000 in revenue, including $250,000 in gross profit. Insurance proceeds and grant funds helped weather the storm.
In August, the Quad Cities Chamber distributed more than $400,000 in flood relief grants to 87 business and property owners in Iowa and Illinois, including Front Street, via Grow Quad Cities – Iowa Fund and DDP SSMID dollars.
“Every little bit helps,” said Baldwin, a member of the DDP board. “Things take time.”
In other positive news, a 6½-block area encompassing Front Street Brewery and other businesses just west of the Government Bridge recently was named the Motor Row and Industrial Historic District. The National Register of Historic Places designation, requested by the DDP, improves access to federal and state historic preservation tax credits that can help finance renovation.
"A lot of cool, buried treasure was uncovered during this process, and we are working on a second designation for the core of downtown, too," said Kyle Carter, Executive Director of the DDP. "We are proud to lead these efforts on behalf of the community and our stakeholders."
Explore more of what downtown Davenport has to offer at the DDP website!