SALT LAKE CITY -- Advertisements featuring Utah's new slogan -- Life Elevated -- will begin appearing in magazines nationwide within the next month as part of the largest effort in state history to boost tourism spending here.

The new brand and logo are designed to lure to the state adventure travelers who earn $75,000 or more annually in an effort to increase tourism revenue by more than $1 billion over the next two years.

Tourism is already a growing $5.45 billion industry with more than 18 million visitors coming to Utah each year, but the state has been losing its market share to surrounding states in recent years.

The Legislature responded in 2005 by authorizing $10 million to market the state to tourists this year, an increase of about 1000 percent from previous years.

"It's the first time we could be a competitive force in the marketplace," Kim McClelland, chairman of the Utah Board of Tourism, said Wednesday.

But the funding comes with strings attached.

The amount of money the state spends on tourism promotion in the future will be tied to how well the advertising campaign works in generating tourism-related taxes.

Initially, the new advertising campaign will be judged on how well it increases interest in the state as determined by requests for vacation information and visits to state Web sites, said Leigh von der Esch, director of the Utah Office of Tourism.

Typically, it takes about two years for an advertising campaign saturating a market to yield results in terms of tax revenues, von der Esch said. But she's confident that the state's marketing strategy will be successful in persuading urban escapists, action travelers and families to come to Utah.

Advertisements will soon being appearing in such magazines National Geographic-Adventure, Delta Sky, National Geographic-Traveler and a New York Times publication. Local tourism coalitions and businesses are also being encouraged to use the brand in their cooperative marketing efforts.

Von der Esch said Utah has never been this ambitious in its marketing efforts. The state now has something recognizable it can put on T-shirts, similar to "I (heart) New York".

The print advertisements displayed at a news conference Wednesday feature a common theme -- showing a dull scene on the left side of the page, and then an adventuresome lifestyle on the right side depicted by Utah scenery.

One ad shows children camping in a backyard on the left side, then camping among red rock canyons and spires at Mounument Valley in southern Utah on the right. The text says: "Next time you let them go outside, let them go outside."

Salt Lake City advertising firm W Communications developed the campaign after several months spent taking suggestions from Utah residents and listening to focus groups of both in and out-of-state people.

Gov. Jon Huntsman said the new brand, which replaces "Utah! Where ideas connect," encapsulates the state's vastly varied geography and appeal.

"The brand is real, and it's authentic. That's exactly what we're trying to portray to the rest of the world," Huntsman said.

Marketing to international visitors, who tend to stay longer and spend more per day, is expected to gain more attention in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

International travel is expected to be the fastest-growing segment of the tourism industry this year, at 7 percent, according to a Travel Industry Association of America forecast.

The Life Elevated brand will also be used to tout the state as a place for businesses to relocate, emphasizing the high quality of life in Utah.

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On the Net:

Utah Travel Information www.utah.travel

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C6.