MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2007 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representative Baker (74th), Smith (59th), Malone, Moore, Reeves, Rogers (61st), Rotenberry, Weathersby, Fleming, Brown
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING RICHARD AND LIZA LOOSER FOR THEIR INTUITIVE FORESIGHT TO CREATE THE "MISSISSIPPI, BELIEVE IT!" CAMPAIGN, WHICH SHOWCASES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE RICH HISTORY, VAST RESOURCES AND AMENITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
WHEREAS, in 2005, after an interesting conversation with a 12-year-old boy from Connecticut about the general sentiment of Mississippi, Richard W. Looser, Jr., and wife, Liza Cirlot Looser, of The Cirlot Agency launched the "Mississippi, Believe It!" campaign to inform and educate the citizens of Mississippi, as well as the rest of the country, about the wonderful people, aspects and facts associated with the State of Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, not meant as a way to advertise a product or use Mississippi for marketing reasons, but rather to restore pride in Mississippi and change the way that outsiders as well as residents see the state, Richard, Cirlot's Chief Operating Officer, and Liza, its founder, determined that the first step in changing Mississippi's perception was to change that of its own citizens; and
WHEREAS, the Cirlot Agency, a Mississippi-based, full-service, marketing, public relations and corporate communications firm known throughout the nation as one of the top three advertising agencies in the defense industry, boasting such clients as Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to name a few, created the communication pieces as a gift to Mississippi in an effort to thank the state for supporting its business for over two decades; and
WHEREAS, comprised of 14 public service announcements created to run in both newspapers and magazines, full sets of the "Mississippi, Believe It!" posters were sent to every public and private K-12 school and every college and university in the state; and
WHEREAS, the campaign also includes a Web site that houses the posters in a downloadable format, as well as links to other sites which list little-known facts about the state, and was recently featured in The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report and the International Herald Tribune; and
WHEREAS, throughout the 189 years of Mississippi's statehood, untold numbers of the state's citizens have made marvelous medical advances, entertained the masses, invented products that do everything from making lives better to improving space travel, just to name a few of the state's successes. But all too often, Mississippi is only thought of in regard to a short period in her history in which civil rights atrocities took place, and unfortunately, this negative perception has greatly affected how Mississippi’s own citizens view their state; and
WHEREAS, the ultimate goal of "Mississippi, Believe It!" is to create "citizen ambassadors" for the state, who would visit the Web site, www.mississippibelieveit.com, download the posters and email them from coast to coast, which to date, through the Web site and emails, have been spread to an estimated 30 million people nationwide; and
WHEREAS, now in its second year, the "Mississippi, Believe It!" campaign opened an online store, where anyone can purchase "Mississippi, Believe It!" merchandise, from which all the proceeds go toward expanding the campaign nationally, as well as covering expenses, such as packaging and postage; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we acknowledge the great strides of Richard and Liza Looser and the Cirlot Agency in promoting the image and abundant resources of our great state:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Richard and Liza Looser for their intuitive foresight to create the "Mississippi, Believe It!" campaign, showcasing and highlighting the rich history, vast resources and amenities associated with the State of Mississippi, and express sincere wishes for continued success in all of their future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Richard and Liza Looser of the Cirlot Agency and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.