Go ahead, brag a little: Campaign encourages Iowans to tout their state

Not to brag, but Iowans have a lot to brag about.

That's the message the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs is trying to spread with a new campaign, #NotToBrag.

The social media hashtag, meant to be shared on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, gives Iowans who may be reticent to boast a way to do so, in the most 'Iowa Nice' way possible.

'We've really wanted to give Iowans a license to brag. Iowans are notoriously nice and honest and don't want to brag,' said Michael Morain, communications manager for the department. 'We want to help Iowans to share stories about Iowans.'

The campaign, he said, is meant to highlight the cultural and historic attractions of the state, whether those are the Cresco farm where Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and World Food Prize founder Norman Borlaug was born, the Centerville church where world-renowned opera singer Simon Estes got his start or architect Frank Lloyd Wright's last standing hotel in Mason City.

Those are just a few of the 'brags' highlighted in a video the department released to kick off the campaign. Artist Grant Wood's studio in Cedar Rapids, the Mother Mosque — the oldest mosque in North America — and the many famous writers who were affiliated with the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop in Iowa City also get shout-outs.

'Here at the department, when we talk with Iowans around the state or do outreach meetings, we hear over and over again how many towns have 'best kept' secrets,' Morain said. 'We're hoping Iowans will see the video or the hashtag and ask themselves, 'What's cooking in my town?' and they can just take it and run.

'If it pops up on our radar with the hashtag, we can help spotlight whatever it is.'

He said the campaign also is meant to highlight the department's work, which include the Iowa Arts Council, Produce Iowa and the State Historical Society. Among other undertakings, the Iowa Arts Council provides grants for Iowa artists, Produce Iowa supports the film industry in the state and the State Historical Society runs the State Historical Museum of Iowa in Des Moines, issues tax credits for historic preservation projects and provides consulting for developers who need experts on historic preservation.

'With the campaign, we hope people will associate some of the cool things that are happening in our state with some of the services the Department of Cultural Affairs can provide,' Morain said. 'We were sort of joking that, while the Iowa Department of Motor Vehicles issues licenses to drive and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources issues licenses to hunt, we can issue licenses to brag.'

The campaign is not connected with the #iowabrag campaign the Iowa City Area Development Group rolled out in 2013, though they have similar premises — encouraging reticent Iowans to talk up their state.

The department learned about ICAD's campaign after launching #nottobrag at the Celebrate Iowa Gala Dec. 9, Morain said. He hopes they can amplify each other's message.

'I guess it's one of those things where great minds think alike,' he said. 'There's certainly enough to brag about.'

l Comments: (319) 398-8434; alison.gowans@thegazette.com