Sophisticated and sweet. That's the impression that 200-plus of the nation's media people are likely to get from a box filled with Minnesota-themed items and dispatched in advance of the Republican National Convention.
In the box are Lake Wobegon "pretty good peppermints," two elephant-imprinted truffles from Chocolat Celeste, homemade peanut butter from Hell's Kitchen and a too-small Pearson's Salted Nut Roll. There's also a 2008 St. Paul travel guide, hot pink Post-it notes and two Mall of America tchotchkes (Nickelodeon Universe ballcap, MOA golf ball).
Teresa McFarland of McFarland Cahill Communications said she wanted to "stay away from the clichéd stuff," and convey what the state's all about rather than focus on what visitors actually can do during the Sept. 1-5 event in St. Paul. Indeed, the Minnesota Wild (represented by a puck), Minnesota Opera (a DVD on "The Grapes of Wrath") and Minnesota Orchestra (a Beethoven CD sampler) will not be in season at convention time.
All well and good. But what would you, dear reader, put in a packet for visitors that's utterly representative of our beloved state? Mosquito swatters? Tonka Toy snowmobiles? A "Fargo" pronunciation guide? Lefse on a stick?
Let us hear from you at Tellus@startribune.com. Put "Minnesota" in the subject field.
