New ad series encourages Quad Citizens to explore downtown Davenport
Just five miles from their house in Moline, the Macias family found themselves “in a whole different world” during a recent outing in downtown Davenport.
Sporting high-tech headsets and gripping pairs of joysticks, they played virtual reality games at Paradigm for the first time, sharing highlights with friends and other family members on Snapchat.
“I felt like a kid again,” said Alvaro Macias, who first experienced virtual reality during a friend’s bachelor party in Chicago. “To see this amenity is here in the Quad Cities, and it’s something you can do with the family, that’s pretty cool.”
Colorful footage of the their memorable visit to Paradigm and a host of other Quad Cities Chamber member businesses in downtown Davenport is the focus of a new promotional video running on local television stations and social media channels. In addition, a photo of Macias, his wife, Jaclyn, and daughters, Celia, 16, and Carmendi, 4, at Modern Woodmen Park is running in print and digital editions of the Quad-City Times.
Following this year’s flood — the highest and longest in Quad Cities history — Mediacom / OnMedia Advertising and the Quad-City Times pitched this creative idea for an advertising campaign to the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP), a division of the Chamber. The media companies, both of which are Chamber members, offered their production services and platforms free of charge to help drive more traffic to downtown businesses.
“The collaboration is a fantastic example of community pride and wanting to make sure we help each other out,” said Kyle Carter, Executive Director of DDP. “As far as the ads themselves, the goal is to make sure people understand how broad the opportunities are down here.”
DDP manages the Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) in downtown Davenport, providing leadership and advocacy for downtown economic development, planning, cultural vitality, events, marketing and clean-and-safe initiatives.
Following the first ad about family-friendly activities in downtown Davenport, the “Go Downtown!” series is slated to publish separate spots targeting millennials and Gen Z.
The Macias family’s curated tour of downtown was filmed over two days. On a Thursday evening they explored the Figge Art Museum, ate dinner at The Diner and enjoyed the baseball and festivities at Modern Woodmen Park, including the Ferris wheel, during a Quad Cities River Bandits game. Two days later they strolled around the Freight House Farmers Market and shared slices of Streets of Italy pizza before stepping into the alternate reality at Paradigm.
“There were at least two places we didn’t really know were there,” said Macias, Vice President of Business Development at Ascentra Credit Union and member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. “It was a lot of fun for all of us.”
Providing VR gaming options for all ages, Paradigm hosts e-sports tournaments, family gatherings, birthday parties, corporate training programs, corporate parties and team-building activities.
While the entertainment venue weathered a fair amount of cosmetic damage from the flood, owner Kelli Grubbs said the loss of revenue hit harder.
“We were closed for approximately six weeks, and even after reopening, it has taken a lot of time to rebuild our traffic,” Grubbs said. “We aren’t there yet, but we are committed to the success of our downtown location.”
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 Paradigm, via Grow Quad Cities – Iowa Fund and DDP SSMID dollars.
Grubbs called the assistance “critical” and credited the greater business community and Davenport city staff for helping them get back up and running.
While the opening of The Half Nelson restaurant this summer spurred excitement in the 300 block of East 2nd Street, she believes Great River Brewery needs to reopen before the level of pre-flood activity returns.
“Our community at large is very generous from the perspective of assisting in a crisis, but we still struggle to support downtown businesses that aren’t bars or restaurants,” Grubbs said.
One block west of Paradigm, Chamber members Theo & Co., a contemporary men’s boutique, and Crafted QC, a working art studio/shop, are hosting a joint ribbon cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11.
Through their participation in the filming of the “Go Downtown!” series, Macias and his wife learned downtown Davenport offers much more than a vibrant nightlife scene for date nights.
“If we want to keep these cool businesses around, we need to support the entrepreneurs who are bringing something unique to the Quad Cities,” Macias said. “Make it a point to go to downtown Davenport, and check out what they have going on.”
Explore more of what downtown Davenport has to offer at the DDP website!