AKRON, Ohio – When reading the words “kiss my” on a downtown business, John Paulette did a double-take.
While visiting an Akron restaurant, the Richfield man was surprised to read, “Kiss my Akron” on the counter.
“I thought it was a little edgy at first, but it’s cute,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll have fun with it.”
The Kiss My Akron campaign started last week, asking people to show their affection by smacking windows of their favorite restaurants and businesses with a “Kiss My Akron” decal.
“It kind of does grab your attention, and then once we’ve got your attention, we can focus on the real matter, which is sharing love of downtown and downtown businesses,” said Sharon Gillberg of the Downtown Akron Partnership.
Angela Roloff, owner of Rubber City Clothing, is one of several businesses already decked out with decals.
“It makes me feel great,” Roloff said. “It makes me feel absolutely great, like ‘Hey, do you want to give us a kiss,’ and they’re like, ‘What?’ ‘Put your lips… Kiss My Akron right on the door.’”
Though there’s no official prize for places receiving the most plastic kisses, Erin Ludlam said she’s OK with having a little fun.
“It’s been great. Asking people for a kiss is awesome,” she said. “What’s wrong with that?”
The Kiss My Akron campaign runs through the month of February. Ludlam hopes it will attract more people to the hidden gems of the city.
“I think it would be great if we could just get some more people noticing that there is a Downtown Akron Partnership,” she said. “We have tens of thousands of people that drive down this street every single day and they don’t know here. It’s helpful to let people know that there are businesses and stuff going on down here, so it’s great.”
Decals are available at the Downtown Akron Partnership office, located in Greystone Hall at 103 S. High St. Participating locations will also have decals available on site.
For those who want to seal their love for downtown with a kiss, go to http://www.downtownakron.com.