Seizing a tongue-in-cheek marketing opportunity when it saw one, the city of Rockford, IL. decided to capitalize on the attention it's received as the hideaway for Wisconsin's once fleeing democratic lawmakers.  So they decided to produce a sarcastic tourism ad intended half as awareness for the city and half--as Hot Air's blogger Allahpundit put it--"cheeky link bait aimed at conservative blogs."

"Our doors are wide open. We want people to come here and hideaway from whatever they're trying to get away from," entreated the city's tourism director after trotting out Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick to pitch the city's culture scene ("I'm never bored here," the musician remarked). Watch:

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Erik Hayden