COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio officials announced Wednesday during an Ohio Tourism Day celebration that the state will resume use of the “Ohio, The Heart of it All” tagline.

What You Need To Know

  •  Gov. DeWine announced a reimagined state slogan "Ohio, The Heart of it All"

  •  The slogan was last used between 1984 and 2001 and is meant to promote Ohio as a great place to both visit and live

  •  Accompanying brand videos will be a song by Akron soul band Wesley Bright and the Honeytones

The announcement was made by Gov. Mike DeWine with First Lady Fran DeWine, Lt. Gov Jon Husted and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik. The tagline is meant to promote Ohio as a place to visit and a place to live. It was last used between 1984 and 2001. 

The slogan remains the same but is now accompanied by a new logo and new brand strategies. While promoted through social media, radio and videos, the song “Must be the Love” by Wesley Bright & the Honeytones, a soul band from Akron, will play. 

“As Ohio evolves into a powerhouse for technology and innovation, we're looking at the classic "Ohio, The Heart of it All" tagline in a new way," said Gov. DeWine. “Our state is thriving, and we want the world to know that Ohio is the heart of technology, the heart of opportunity, the heart of adventure, and the heart of family. This is a brand for all of Ohio, uniting everything we love about our great state under one powerful phrase.”  

The state is promoting a message that Ohio offers job opportunities, family-friendly communities, and a great quality of life as well as tourism-related events and attractions. 

“Tourism is big business in Ohio, but it’s only part of the puzzle,” said Lt. Gov. Husted. “We want to be champions for the state of Ohio. Moving forward, we’re going to be more intentional about attracting not only visitors, but also people who want to live, learn, and work here.”

Tourism is a large industry in Ohio, bringing in 233 million visitors and $53 billion in 2022. For residents of Ohio, the tourism industry supports more than 400,000 season, part-time and full-time jobs. 

“The tourism and economic development messages can’t be separated anymore,” said Ohio Department of Development Director Mihalik. “The ‘Ohio, The Heart of it All’ theme reinforces the idea that people can have amazing adventures and memorable moments by visiting here, but they also can build their careers, their homes, and their families here.”