Recalling Indiana’s Days of Wander Lust

A cherry-red Studebaker in stop-motion rounds an uphill bend, while a Lawrence Welk– sounding chorus cheerily croons, “Wander Indiana.” During the 1980s and early ’90s it was an all-too-familiar TV commercial to Hoosiers. Indeed, the crimson convertible, unburdened by a driver, slid through winter trails, frolicked with beachgoers and swam with the other kids.

How did this piece of Americana kitsch start, and why did it end?

Under the auspices of then-Lieutenant Governor John Mutz, the Indiana Office of Tourism Development launched the program to target those living in Indiana. According to Denise Miller, Indiana’s director of tourism development from 1989–92, “[They] realized they had only focused on [attracting] big meetings and conventions. ‘Wander Indiana’ was about locals traveling to see their state.”

The marketing campaign debuted in 1982 and operated with a budget of $384,000. The powersthat- be created a stylized “Wander Indiana” logo, putting together a vigorous marketing campaign blanketing airwaves, radio and print. Concurrently, an informational travel guide offered short-drive ideas around Indiana. The publication, called Wander Indiana, detailed stops and places of interest; it also included an order form for branded items featuring the new logo. While the magazine offered areas of interest, it was also a catalog offering souvenirs for purchase such as caps, T-shirts, coffee mugs, glasses, Fun Flyer discs and luggage.

The state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles got into the act with a brightly colored license plate. The metal placard debuted on the top-rated “Today Show” with celebrated TV personalities Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley. They made their way to Indianapolis, assisting in promoting the effort with a national shout-out to the millions of viewers in front of the late Hoosier Dome.

Today little remains from the advertising and marketing blitz. A 10-second slice of a commercial exists on YouTube, as well as a 30-second spot showing the driverless car cruising down country lanes. Last year, Andrea Glenn, a librarian at the main branch of Indy’s Public Library, wrote a blog item about the “Wander Indiana” campaign. She said, “Back in 2016, for Indiana’s bicentennial celebration, I’d collaborated with a co-worker to create a display with Indiana license plates and some ‘Wander Indiana’ items. It seemed like a fun theme for a blog post, and it gave me a chance to look at materials such as newsletters and reports in the library’s collection.”

Glenn, an Indiana native, even recalled, “When we were traveling out-of-state, the bright colors on the license plates made it easy to spot other Hoosiers. Also, I remember the catchy theme song and the red Studebaker in the television commercials. I liked the tune, but it’s a bit of an earworm.”

But it’s not always remembered so fondly, even though it garnered national attention. When Governor Evan Bayh was elected, Miller took over the tourism division’s helm coming from South Bend’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. She remembers, “The jingle was everywhere. You couldn’t turn on a radio without hearing it.”

She increased the budget to $500,000 during her tenure, making the driverless car even more ubiquitous. But as much as all things gear up, they do have a lifespan and eventually run out of gas. “I had been at the agency for two years, and we gauged the effectiveness of ‘Wander Indiana’—this was before digital marketing—by the number of calls the tourism bureau fielded.”

At one time, Miller recollects, the agency would mail out thousands of travel guides. By 1992, the program sputtered to only a handful of inquiries. Even with a more robust marketing plan, “Wander Indiana’s” Studebaker, a product of the state’s onceprominent automotive industry, quit chugging along.

“At the time,” Miller says, “Indy was still being called Naptown. It was a sleepy city without much of a thought, and the state wasn’t far behind. After ‘Wander Indiana,’ Hoosiers became proud of what one could do in their state. Ultimately, the campaign was a success.” And the cherry-red auto rolled into the setting sun, looking for new places to explore and “Wander Indiana.”