BOSTON AND PHILADELPHIA, February 5, 2020 – Allen & Gerritsen (A&G) today unveiled its work to rebrand the Central Pennsylvania Convention & Visitors Bureau to “The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau” (HVAB). The rebranding effort, which includes both a new name and a visual identity, is designed to increase awareness of the Centre County/Happy Valley region of Pennsylvania--home to Penn State--as not only a college football powerhouse, but also a leisure and business travel destination.

Developed with a nod to adventure, the rebrand launches with a strategic advertising campaign comprised of digital video, digital banner, out-of-home and print executions. The work, which can be viewed here, emphasizes a simple message for visitors to the region: Happy Valley connects you with your “happy.” To bring this idea to life, A&G created two "agents”--essentially, “fun enforcement” officers--of the HVAB. Agent Friendly and Agent Chipper, the stars of the ad campaign, are tasked with uncovering individuals and families having insufficient fun, and writing them a ticket. A ticket for a trip to Happy Valley.

“The rebranding effort, with its focus on a renaming rooted in our region’s personality, represents a significant change in storytelling in the tourism category and also highlights what makes this area unique,” said Fritz Smith, president and CEO of HVAB. “There is so much heart and history in our area, with new adventures waiting in all corners of the region. We have a fantastic opportunity to show a new side to Centre County with our new brand identity. And, we’re delighted with the related campaign creative assets that reflect the energy of our home, along with the vast number of places to eat, sleep and explore here.”

“Our job was to break the mold of the typical ‘Visit XYZ destination’ approach in the tourism category,” said Andrew Graff, CEO of A&G. “With the rise of perfect-for-social-media vacations, we wanted to bring a fresh perspective and show what taking a vacation is all about: connecting with others in a fulfilling, family-friendly place. We are thrilled to work with The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and its stakeholders to position Centre County as an idyllic and fun destination to collaborate, unplug, hike, dine and roam.”

As a component of the rebranding effort, HVAB has launched the PTGo Contest (Go Somewhere With Your PTO). According to the Harris Poll, more than one-fourth of employed Americans do not utilize the vacation time that their jobs offer. To encourage using that PTO, HVAB is encouraging people to enter to win an all-expenses-paid getaway to Happy Valley. Contest details regarding how to enter can be found here.

About The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau

The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) is a nonprofit, membership-based organization committed to the fundamental principle that conventions and visitors can be more effectively attracted to our area through "coordinated group action" rather than independent action. The bureau's mission is to develop, promote, and engage in travel related activities and coordinate visitor services designed to enhance the economic activity and quality of life within the county and thereby contribute to the commonwealth.

About Happy Valley, Pennsylvania

Experience your next adventure in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. Shopping, Dining, Outdoors, Penn State Sports, Unique Museums...in any way that your spirit of adventure guides you -- we invite you to explore Happy Valley. Located right in the middle of beautiful Pennsylvania scenery just a few hours' drive or a short flight away. Start your day with ice cream for breakfast at Berkey Creamery; because who doesn’t love the idea of ice cream for breakfast? Head to Penn's Valley and Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park for a boat ride tour through the only all-water cavern in America. Other “must-do” places include Columbus Chapel at the Boal Estate, where you can view artifacts and hear about 200 years of Boal and Columbus family history. If you’re inspired by history, come to Bellefonte in the Nittany Valley, which has architecture to admire and enough antique stores to keep the biggest antiquarian busy for hours. You can also stop in at the American Philatelic Center, for a free tour, at the largest stamp collecting facility in the world. Remember to bring your bicycle when you visit Happy Valley. State College has some of the best mountain biking trails east of the Rockies and is a top-10 ranked cycle-friendly city.

About Allen & Gerritsen

Allen & Gerritsen (A&G) is an independent, integrated, creative-led agency that is driven by strategy, data and humanity to generate sustainable results for modern brands. Our agency brings out a brand’s best self through strategies that truly understand people and the ideas that connect to them. Our headquarters are located in Boston and Philadelphia and our clients include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Citrix Sharefile, Comcast, Fresenius Medical Care North America, National Organization on Disability, Philadelphia Flyers, The TJX Companies and more. A&G builds our own best self by embracing the diversity of our talent and taking pride in creating a warm, curious, genuine, thoughtful culture. A&G was ranked twice by Advertising Age as the #1 “Best Place to Work in Marketing & Media.” To learn more, check out http://www.a-g.com and follow the agency on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.