West Mass is new brand identity for Pioneer Valley tourism, business

[@nubetre]

It's nice that even in these divisive times, we can all come together and agree that this is very bad.

[@BrianWatson13]

Sometimes, late at night, when I'm just about to fall asleep...this song starts playing in my head. I love it.

[@marivaux32]

It's like a straight-to-video summer camp movie from 1982 (especially the logo) where part of the plot is that the campers start an amateur Kraftwerk tribute band.

[@phaeacrede]

This is, hands down, the best parody video I've ever seen. Not sure what it's parodying, but man - they sure committed.

[@charlieparfet4492]

As someone who grew up in Northampton and has family in Holyoke, I can honestly say this video brought tears to my eyes. Tears of pride and utter joy. It is my hope that this thoughtful and riveting piece of work will invoke the same feelings of gratitude and dignity in others who spent their childhoods in West Mass. I can practically taste the Connecticut River's pulsing waves on the banks of Hadley's fertile ground, smell the winds of Chicopee swirling across Interstate 91, and hear the Reggaeton beats of the Holyoke flats on a mid-summer's eve. God bless West Mass and all those who inhabit it.

[@futon2345]

Tastes like asparagus

[@Ta12dankdiscoveries]

💀

[@Yaaziel]

Now people outside the area will believe we don't have any creative people in the Valley. Good job, guys.

[@audreymaney6354]

Right? That's the saddest part. The Valley is chalk full of creatives. It's a cultural hub. This does it a gross disservice.

[@edbloniarz466]

This seems like a ludicrous storyline from "Parks and Rec"

[@mortgagesdemystified]

Or like a 'prestige worldwide' promo video

[@Cutesplosion]

Even Leslie Knope would cringe.

[@chriswarzenski8652]

wow. 1998 called and wants it's crappy TV workout music back. They spent $80K on this turd? And what the F*@K does West Mass mean? Did Michael Jordan pay for this because I keep seeing him in it, and I know he doesn't live here.

[@TylerBrownofNewEngland]

He visited once so of course that is very exciting for everyone. We should build a statue to commemorate.

[@Tazbev84]

he was here for the BHF induction ceremony last September

[@sbe79]

But Bill Cosby *does* live here... and nobody wants to talk about that, do they?

[@TheThetommytom]

Embarrassing video. No one will ever call it West Mass. You should see the look on people's faces when they see this video. What a joke.

[@alexandernauffts6211]

TheThetommytom haha, good idea. a reaction video of this would be great

[@AwesomePossum413]

this song is the jam. sorry you don't get it

[@naturalismundi4359]

This song is a Jam made out of rat turds.

[@kateadams5929]

Fertility? Modesty? Uh, this isn't West Mass, Utah.

[@10badbugs]

Some of our soil is very fertile so, nailed one I guess..

[@audreymaney6354]

LOL have you been to Northampton? Modesty is not a descriptor I would use for the PV. And I say that as a positive.

[@moosebat74]

How much of that $80K went towards buying a time machine that took the producers back to the 80s and 90s?

[@araliabellydance5189]

Joshua Gunn actually the campaign to rebrand was 80K - this video was another 5K on top of that. I bet they get another 5K to put it out on an 8 Track.

[@tedfells]

West Mass: Michael Jordan Cried Here

[@aidanb.c.2325]

We Berkshire folk are more than thrilled that you left us out of this giant steaming pile of elephant dung. Even Jordan is crying from the stench.

[@cupofnestorful]

This is garbage. As a media professional, and member of a thriving community of creative individuals - I cannot believe that GSCVB failed to find a local producer with better taste and a real understanding of what makes our area attractive to outsiders.

[@naturalismundi4359]

I am feel the same way. My daughters made better videos with a smart phone.

[@audreymaney6354]

What a waste of money.

[@fleshtrashheat]

So a video costing 80K promoting economic development of western mass was made by a company in Oklahoma. Nice going!

[@DarcieSosa]

And it looks like it's from the early 90s, lol

[@fleshtrashheat]

it really does.. they nailed the look and feel of 1992 perfectly.

[@justonescarf]

#WestAss is more like it.

[@FoxtrotZuluMilkshakeJesse]

This video is brutal. Looks like it was made by someone trying desperately to be "relevant" and "hip"...which I'm surprised isn't included in the video as a tacky marketing buzzword. Music is wrong, pacing is too quick, graphics look dated and cheap. MassLive are you trolling us?

[@naturalismundi4359]

I have lived here nearly all my life. This Video is like watching the Hindenberg (rebranded the "Hot Dogg" ) explode to Techno-Auto-tuned jingles. OOOHH the VULGARITY!! What were you thinking? Answer: Not much.

[@RonNewman]

isn't Berkshire County part of West Mass? The westest part?

[@TrishTruitt]

Don't give them any ideas! They'll re-brand Berkshire "Westiest Mass"!

[@AdamLarson]

NO! Berkshire County shall remain "Western Mass" aka southern southern vermont aka "here be dragons" aka "wait there's more MA after Holyoke??"

[@mekhetiidx]

"wester(n) mass"

[@rowenhenning5151]

"Westiest Mass" OMG....LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@audreymaney6354]

It's not in the Pioneer Valley (the Connecticut River Valley), which truth be told is what most are referring to when they say "Western Mass." Otherwise people just say "Berkshire County" or "the Berkshires."

[@deborahwijnhoven1610]

Terrible, terrible, terrible. Please make it go away!!!!!

[@emmapodolsky4882]

WESTERN MASS BABY!!!! PEOPLE IN NEW YORK DO NOT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE FACT I GO TO SCHOOL HERE BUT ITS COOL TO SHOW MY HIP FRIENDS BACK HOME HOW DAFT PUNK IS ALIVE AND WELL IN THE VALLEY

[@nicoleclausing1436]

West Mass?!! That makes the region sound, at best, like a suburb, but really more like something that needs to be surgically removed. So wrong.

[@patrickohattrick8233]

Is 413 the area code?

[@Nivho]

West... uh, no. Get your money back for this branding campaign. Was any research done?

[@Michael-me5kn]

They should have enlisted DJ Fooz to mix a better song. Why did they show Michael Jordan three times? Besides the Basketball Hall of Fame, what does he have to do with the Pioneer Valley? Uh, I mean "West Mass"?

[@wgl2]

every time i watch this I find another unimaginably horrific detail

[@wgl2]

like "modesty" written over naked dr. seuss characters

[@JonathanCabot]

this is a joke right

[@zachfarrell2606]

Wow this campaign is awful.

[@elizabethnisayas9590]

are we in the 80's? lolol fail

[@rickk10000]

"Possum Valley" sounds more memorable.

[@sethgregory2389]

This is SO amateur. I'm devastated. As a local, and a designer, I am stunned at how such a poorly executed rebranding came to represent what is such a soulful and distinct region. This feels more like an SNL skit than an actual tourism promo. The countdown begins until the day this officially gets the axe. It's still Pioneer Valley, sorry Westmass Development Corp. Nice try, no dice.

[@eoinhiggins]

The music is such a blatant ripoff of Daft Punk's Get Lucky, especially at the 1:00 mark, I'd be surprised if they don't get sued.

[@alexcastro5277]

Berkshire County doesn't count? I lived there for 15 years, and that's definitely Western Mass. This video is inaccurate, and doesn't depict all of Wester Mass.

[@fleshtrashheat]

I'm guessing after this video the Berkshires would rather distance themselves from the pioneer valley.

[@juliemae212]

fleshtrashheat 😂😂😂😂

[@Gerryb6]

Perhaps the Berkshires can secede and become their own state.

[@alexcastro5277]

Berkshire County has so much to offer. Also this video seemed like visiting Springfield was actually fun. I never remember that being a thing 😂

[@naturalismundi4359]

Consider yourself lucky to be left out.

[@alec1115]

"You never know what you're going to see in the 413." --- the most cringeworthy marketing line ever!!!

[@miguelman159]

I'm 100% certain I will definitely not be visiting "West Mass" ever.

[@SeaFeezle]

I was going to leave a snarky comment on how lame this video is, but my fellow Pioneer Valley folks came through IN FORCE. Lmao. Nice work everyone.

[@TylerSanborn]

I demand a trap remix by Mike Diva pronto

[@10badbugs]

TELL THE MAKERS IT'S BAD

[@juliemae212]

this is awful. Also, there's a whole other county West of this

[@rowenhenning5151]

A huge one actually. So stupid.

[@Uni413]

Revisiting this 6 yrs later because it’s THAT bad

[@nmodie]

me too, lol. I love it.

[@ZeranZeran]

HOw can I download this to my zune?

[@lobozurdo]

I'd rather be called the 413 or Western Mass. But if they only meant the Pioneer Valley (no Berkshires), then they should have stuck with the Pioneer Valley.

[@Ta12dankdiscoveries]

That's the problem….Western Mass includes the Berkshires, but Pioneer Valley only the tri-counties…therefor they took the name for Hampshire, Franklin and Hamden counties and replaced it with one that includes Berkshires.

[@triciafarley-bouvier2508]

Ahem! Are you kidding me?!?! Have you ACTUALLY been to Western Massachusetts? or did you just google a few fun facts? The Pioneer Valley is the midwest as far as I am concerned. Epic Fail. EPIC.FAIL-------- Proud Berkshire County resident.

[@Billy-xl4sv]

At least it doesn't have clips of Iceland in it ;/

[@nakedsasquatch]

Does Dr. Westchesterton know about this? Couldn't we just have dropped Fertility and Maverick all over that thing for about $7?

[@a.possum6759]

This is all about selling Western Mass as an investment opportunity to people from outside the area, to come in like vultures with no concept of the Valley's individual culture. This is about casinos.

[@degoao]

This is a joke right? What a waste of money.

[@speterkane]

Absolutely terrible! This a disgraceful attempt - terrible graphics, absurd music that doesn't relate at all, the most elementary transitions. The creative group (if there actually was one and not just an intern) needs to be fired and funds returned.

[@Cutesplosion]

Porterhouse Media, a local company whose claim to fame is autotuning a SlapChop video, was given the task of putting together this video. After receiving much criticism, the company is trying to distance itself from it, claiming they were given all the footage and had to "slap" it together last-minute.

[@patrickohattrick8233]

There's no distancing yourself from something like this. It's forever. It's chocolate rain bad.

[@khavigoback]

Oh my god, this is so bad.

[@howtheracewaswon]

If you cut Jordan and told me this was an old campaign from 1995, I would have absolutely believed you.

[@michaelwalbridge3830]

I've always been embarrassed to tell people that I'm from Springfield, Massachusetts (what I have always referred to as "The Taint of Massachusetts" because its next to Holyoke which is clearly the "Craphole of the entire state")... I never thought I could be more embarrassed than I was... UNTIL NOW... After watching this video from the new rebranding effort of the old "Pioneer Valley" to "West Mass" I'm stunned in horror...

[@angbuxton]

Was the point of this to let everyone in the world know we hit our peak in the 70s? If so, thanks!

[@mickhubis]

Despite your feelings on rebranding an area of the state, this video is garbage. This cost $5,000? Who oversaw this project? It's an embarrassment. I actually feel sad for you.

[@hadleygrass]

This is awful.

[@kathyrobbins6800]

What a waste of money!! First for re-naming something that didn't need to be re-named! Second that video doesn't do a thing to attract more people here. PIONEER VALLEY works just fine. West Mass is stupid!!

[@matthewlawlor8528]

Aurora public access shows this during Wayne's World and Bob Ross

[@rowenhenning5151]

OMG....I feel like my eyes and ears just got raped. Ugh. And they really did make it look like an awful place full of concrete and buildings. Seriously, what has Michael Jordan got to do with Western Mass? Also, what happened to Berkshire County?....one of the biggest draws in MA? Somehow I feel that Richard Simmons - in his adorable shorts - should just randomly pop up in this video from time to time. That would be very consistent and really complete it.

[@TheSnapRapper]

How could you leave out Berkshire County aka the SHIRE?!? The BEST part of Bestern Mass?!?!

[@thevulgarchef]

Well...this is vomit.

[@APlusVisualsCollective]

Lesson learned... They should have hired Brodly Media!

[@Gerryb6]

If this idea is successful, I would urge the Berkshires to secede from the state. At least then the Pioneer Valley would really be Western Mass.

[@secondcousincurly]

Anyone know where I can get my hands on that logo font? I think it's called NancyReagan.

[@burtwonderstone5315]

I noticed that every time you hear the creepy computer voice say "west mass" it actually sounds like he/she is saying "western mass" because of the echo effects. And in so doing, it demonstrates how much easier it is on the tongue to simply say "western" rather than "west."

[@PaulBoudreau]

This the awesome, haven't stopped laughing all morn.... wait..... this is actually a thing? OMG, no

[@travisguin83]

No.

[@jessicaparker8655]

Well, all I can say is that I hope the $80,000 this allegedly cost was paid for in Entertainment 720 dollars.

[@Cutesplosion]

WestMass. Sounds like the name of a redevelopment authority that would try to evict a brewery for being too popular. OH WAIT, IT IS.

[@temclaughlin]

Is this the actual ad campaign, or the straight-to-VHS sequel?

[@Thebakedbaker413]

Stop no please god why???

[@elisaroberts8628]

Just terrible. What a waste of money!

[@RyanDoesLife]

Cringe

[@nickthestick31]

This looks like the opening for a bad 90s sitcom.

[@argylegrant4073]

wait till Tosh.0 gets ahold of this

[@hunterjohnskowron8863]

this video cost $5000!???!??!?! someone got ripped off....

[@ehaleholl]

It took me waaaay to long to realize this wasn't parody.

[@erinnonya6472]

If this actually happens I'm going to move! I'll never be able to tell people "I'm from West Mass" with a straight face.

[@PaulKubera]

I love the square wipes..that must of been 500 dollars.

[@LeonardGr]

What's that song called?

[@gammasecretase]

Get Lucky by Daft Punk.

[@LeonardGr]

ehh... that doesn't sounds like that Daft Punk music.

[@brikkijim]

Utterly disgusted!!!!

[@tomdearborn4061]

#notmywestmass

[@MassRacingChannel]

So cringe

[@wendynewton8337]

I thought this was sneered and laughed away months ago.

[@JuliaMurphy2013]

Aw, I don't think it's horrible Massachusetts. Don't get me wrong, it's not good, but it's passable!

[@ECMYTUNES]

I can’t believe $80,000 was spent to come up with. I love the names Pioneer Valley and Western Mass, but think West Mass is terrible.

[@m757200]

At 1:20, behold the saddest street fair ever! Lots of pop-up tents, almost no customers, one lonely volleyball game without a net and without spectators. At 1:21, for connectivity, let's look at an airplane that is definitely not in the area. There is no commercial airport in that part of the state. (I assume that's Windsor Locks, which is in No Conn not West Mass.) And btw, on the modern mavericks page, yeah, they're almost all dead, but isn't that Frank Zappa? Did he have any connection whatsoever w the area? Oh, the poor 413. Which is something nobody calls it.

[@ryano5168]

Wait, you got a Friendly's!? Be right there

[@AngelaMastrodonato]

The tourism group in Springfield should have hired Doc Westchesterson. The one who made the 413 video years ago. He made a much better video on his own time than this.

[@colex24x]

Wow this is sooo bad

[@bluedusteyes]

This video proves that the problem with tourism and appeal wasn't ever due to the name, but the lack of relevant connection with the community and the talent therein. (How much money was spent on this production, exactly?) We are the Pioneer Valley... We are Western Mass... ...and we are better than this.

[@araliabellydance5189]

I'm officially watching this video for chuckles.

[@joel5493]

Wow. Really? I love Western Mass and the Pioneer Valley and I visit all the time but you absolutely need to drop this whole West Mass thing and especially this. Did you even show this to real people before you put this out there? Good God this is bad. I appreciate that you're trying but you need to take this down and try again.

[@jimraimo]

LOL

[@tdeal7297]

lame

[@audreymaney6354]

What in the fresh hell??!? This is so embarrassing. The Happy Valley deserves much better. FOR SHAME - A proud 3rd generation WestERN Masshole

[@scandinavianserialki]

Uhhh you forgot Berkshire county. It's the only real western mass

[@amandaball4595]

this is freaking awful! did anyone from WESTERNMASS help with this? wtf...

[@heathertetrault9149]

I got motion sick trying to watch this. West Mass? Are you kidding. West is a direction. Western is how you describe a region. I am absolutely embarrassed that this is what so much money was spent on for marketing our area. Wow. This is seriously just terrible in so many ways.

[@loridearborn5968]

This video is laughable at best. #notmywestmass

[@Tazbev84]

Do they really expect this 2:15 mins of video to seriously drum up tourism in Western Mass? I've been here for nearly 20 yrs and it's not that exciting

[@lecollye]

Get your money back!!!