North Carolina is spending nearly $56,000 for an advertising campaign that encourages Amazon to pick the state for the mammoth Amazon HQ2 project, according to a contract signed with a Charlotte marketing agency.

The Economic Development Partnership for North Carolina, a public-private partnership, negotiated a contract with Mythic, an advertising and marketing agency to develop the NCnextfirsts campaign.

North Carolina’s Department of Commerce partnered with the EDPNC for the project, a Commerce spokesperson told WRAL TechWire.

The EDPNC provided a copy of the contract to WRAL TechWire following a public records request.

Amazon has received more than 230 proposals for the multi-billion-dollar project that could produce some 50,000 jobs. A winner is expected to be declared next year.

North Carolina offered four site proposals – the Triangle, with multiple options; the Triad; Charlotte and Hickory.

Advertisements on transit buses, trolleys, digital ads and Facebook advertising began last week.

According to the contract, the campaign includes:

  • A $27,000 “media buy” with $20,000 to the transit efforts
  • Progammatic digital: $5,000
  • Social media “boost:” $2,000
  • T-shirts with a NCnextfirsts logo: $3,447.40

Proceeds from t-shirt sales are estimated to be $527 with proceeds being donated to STEM education efforts.