
You Won’t See Much QC in Illinois’ New Big Tourism Campaign
One riverfront corner of the state of Illinois has a very tiny role in the state's splashy new tourism campaign called "Middle of Everything".
The campaign launched today (4/18) and it stars actress Jane Lynch. Check it out here. The ads, as Our Quad Cities reports, will run in 20 markets in Illinois, 7 neighboring states, and on cable nationwide.
As you can imagine, a lot of it focuses on Chicago. But do you notice any corner of the state not shown?
Yep, Moline & Rock Island! (As one who came from a hometown that my state's tourism board completely ignored, I understand the feeling.)

The campaign shows Lynch going through Route 66 landmarks, Chicago staples, Springfield, and Garden of the Gods in southern Illinois. It's a pricey campaign-$30.3 million dollars to be exact- designed with the intent of helping Illinois's tourism and hospitality industry bounce back after the pandemic.
Right, So Where's the QC In This?
We're in it. A little nugget of it. You'll find us in the Small Batch Favorites itinerary in the Road Trips section: right here. The first four little paragraphs of this.
In Moline, the trip features:
- Dot's Pots
- John Deere Pavilion
In Rock Island, it's:
- QC Coffee & Pancake House
- Wild Cherry Spoon Co.
The ads in Illinois' new campaign, which also feature Illinois actors, will start running nationally on April 25. To see more of the state's "Middle of Everything" campaign featuring Jane Lynch, click here. Meanwhile, cheers to that QCA life.