NYC Tourism Campaign

woot woot!!!

Mayor Bloomberg held a press conference today to launch the new NYC Tourism campaign. it's on all the news channels… so awesome!

i dont have a copy of it yet, so you can view it here . i love it! 

Here's the ABC news story that went along with it. You can watch the video of the newscast here (it's on the right) .

New York City ad campaign a push for big boost in tourism

Does NYC need to advertise itself around the world?

 Eyewitness News

(New York- WABC, October 10, 2007) – Tourists may love New York and lots of them come here, but the city says that's not enough. So it is spending big money on a new ad campaign.

The goal is to attract 50 million tourists a year by 2015.

As political reporter Dave Evans reports, it's all part of New York City's effort to diversify its economy.

This TV commercial advertising all that New York City has to offer is beginning in Ireland, the U.K., France and Spain. It's A $30 million campaign to boost tourism.

The mayor today called all the crows in New York City a good thing: Tourism is a $25 billion industry and it creates 350,000 jobs.

"I don't know anybody who isn't thrilled to have tourists," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said today. "People may not like crowds sometimes, but Times Square, if it's not crowded, is a very big problem."

Last year 43 million people visited New York. That's a record. And international tourism is up nine percent thanks to a weak dollar that makes New York a bargain.

All that begs the question, does New York really need the advertising??

"New York speaks for itself," British tourist Andy Bury told us. "Whatever the money, whatever it costs, people will come to New York."

Wendy MacKay is visiting from Scotland. She had a different perspective, saying, "I asked the guy who was driivng the limo who we came in with, I said do you think New York is advertised well on the world stage, he said no not at all."

The mayor wants to increase tourism in New York by about 14 percent. His goal is that by the year 2015 we'll see 50 million tourists every year. It's going to get crowded!

The "Official" Press Release

  City's First-Ever Global Marketing Campaign Includes Television, Print,
              Online and Outdoor Advertising Across the World;
   Campaign Will Help Achieve Mayor's Goal of 50 Million Tourists By 2015

    NEW YORK, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today
announced the first phase of "This is New York City," the first-ever global
multimedia communications campaign to promote New York City. The
comprehensive, multi-lingual campaign -- which starts today -- includes
television, print, online and outdoor advertising in ten countries on four
continents. The campaign, which uses $30 million in advertising assets over
one year, will ensure that New York City is aggressively promoted
throughout the world in an increasingly competitive tourism industry. The
campaign is a vital part of the plan to achieve the Mayor's goal of
attracting 50 million tourists to New York City by 2015. The campaign's
message, "This is New York City," is grounded in the central truth that the
City offers visitors a range and diversity of experiences unmatched by any
other destination in the world. As part of the campaign, the City's tourism
website was revamped with customization tools to make traveling to the City
easier than ever. In making the announcement, the Mayor was joined by
Deputy Mayor Daniel L. Doctoroff, NYC & Company Board Chairman Jonathan M.
Tisch and NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta at NASDAQ headquarters in Times
Square.
    "Tourism is essential to our economy, which is why we strengthened NYC
& Company and committed additional resources to bring more and more
visitors to our world-class attractions, including our shops, restaurants,
hotels and small businesses," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Everyone who has
visited the City already knows about our unparalleled diversity,
excitement, culture, shopping and entertainment -- but we want the rest of
the world to know that our doors are open and there is something here for
everyone to enjoy. With 'This is New York City,' our visually stunning and
innovative marketing campaign -- the first ever undertaken by the City --
we will continue to build upon our successes and help us reach our goal of
attracting 50 million tourists to the City by 2015."
    "The New York City experience simply is unlike any other, and while no
campaign can make people feel that, we think we can make people want to
feel it by giving them a glimpse of what this City has to offer," said
Deputy Mayor Doctoroff. "The launch of this global campaign signifies our
commitment to promoting New York City and achieving our goal of attracting
50 million visitors by 2015. I want to thank George Fertitta, Jon Tisch and
NYC & Company for creating such a dynamic campaign that reflects the true
character of New York."
    The innovative marketing campaign was created by NYC & Company with
their advertising agency of record, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York (BBH).
The campaign's centerpiece is an eye-catching and innovative television
spot that uses live action and animation to bring to life iconic images
from the five boroughs, including Yankee Stadium, Times Square, Coney
Island, the Staten Island Ferry and the Unisphere. Directed by Matthew
Cullen and Jesus de Francisco of Motion Theory, the spot, which has 30- and
60-second versions, captures the energy, excitement and joy of a trip to
the City. The television spot features a contemporary version of the
classic "Take the A Train," a song that celebrates Harlem and the subway
line that takes you there, remixed by Mint Royale, written by Billy
Strayhorn and performed by Ella Fitzgerald. The spot will air on television
in Spain, Ireland, France and the United Kingdom, and domestically it will
air across the country as part of the City's unique partnership with The
History Channel and other cable partners. The ad will also air on other
channels in two regional markets, Boston and Philadelphia.
    The outdoor and print advertisements all highlight different segments
of the New York City experience -- from shopping and fashion to
entertainment and food. The campaign will include outdoor advertising on
bus shelters in Brazil, Portugal, Italy and Spain, and domestically in
cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, Miami and San Antonio. Much of the
outdoor advertising was obtained through the City's ground-breaking street
furniture contract with Cemusa. Print ads will run in magazines and
newspapers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Germany, Boston
and Philadelphia.
    "The competition in the global tourism industry is fierce. Negative
perceptions of the United States around the world, compounded by the lack
of a coordinated national marketing effort, are only making things worse,"
said Chairman Tisch. "In the face of this, New York City was determined to
take the lead by developing a new strategic and targeted global marketing
campaign. With this bold strategy in place, we can ensure that we are --
unquestionably -- the world's premiere destination."
    "This is an important moment for New York City, with the creation of
the City's first true global communications campaign," said Fertitta. "Our
goal was to create a campaign that would show visitors all the vibrancy,
joy, energy and excitement that sets New York City apart from other
destinations. We believe the multi-layered media elements -- particularly
the television spot -- will create a feeling that will resonate with people
worldwide, and inspire them to come experience this remarkable city for
themselves."
    On the web, NYC & Company has revamped its website, nycvisit.com, which
is available through nyc.gov, in order to make a trip to the City more
manageable. The enhanced website features interactive customization tools
that let users create a New York City experience to match their personal
interests. The tool generates hotel, dining, shopping, culture, event and
nightlife options -- content provided by Time Out New York -- for each user
based on the results of a seven-question quiz. Users can then select
options and save them to a personalized page with an interactive map.
    Interactive banner ads will run on heavily trafficked websites such as
Google, YouTube and Expedia. The campaign also features partnerships with
key international retailers and corporations to create travel and tourism
programs and capitalizes on NYC & Company's new global network of offices.
Future phases of the campaign will further explore the multi-layered
meanings of "This is New York City."
    The campaign is the result of the Mayor's continuing commitment to grow
the City's travel and tourism industry. Nearly two years ago, Mayor
Bloomberg created a single organization dedicated to promoting the City,
NYC & Company, and announced $15 million in additional annual funding in
order to attract 50 million visitors to New York City by 2015. The City is
already ahead of schedule to achieve that goal; last year, the City
welcomed 43.8 million visitors, which supported more than 350,000 jobs and
had an annual economic impact of nearly $25 billion. The City has been
particularly successful in attracting visitors from abroad. Overseas
visitation to New York City is up 9% since 2000, while overseas visitation
to the United States as a whole decreased by 17% in that same timeframe.
    The City has expanded its global reach, opening a slate of
international offices that brought its presence to 14 locations serving 21
countries worldwide. More recently, attention was focused closer to home
with "Just Ask the Locals," a tourist appreciation campaign that called on
residents citywide to thank visitors for coming to New York City and help
them navigate the City while here.

SOURCE: NYC & Company