The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board’s latest marketing push comes with a price tag of more than $10 million and aims to bolster the city’s efforts to fill local hotel beds and meeting spaces.
The second rendition of the agency’s “Now Playing” ad campaign launched last month in eight countries, highlighting popular offerings in arts, culture, nightlife, shopping, sports and entertainment.
“L.A. is at a center stage of major events over the course of the next several years, from the World Cup to the Super Bowl (in 2027), and then to the Olympics … and we wanted to create an invitation as much of a call to action to center stage in Los Angeles,” said Bill Karz, senior vice president of brand and digital marketing for the board. “‘Now Playing’ became this message that is ownable to the destination, but also a way for us to create an action-oriented campaign to get people to come and visit.”
Campaign has local vibes
The campaign consists of six 15-second spots, a joint effort by LA Tourism’s in-house marketing team and Imaginary Forces, a Sawtelle-based design studio and creative agency. The videos playing in the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and France feature “Wanna Be in L.A.,” a song by Eagles of Death Metal, while South Korean market ads showcase “Get a Guitar,” a song by K-pop boy band Riize.
The spots will be part of a media buy that encompasses television, out-of-home, video-on-demand, cable, social, native/display, online video, in-flight video, search and podcast ads.
The marketing package also includes installation of L.A.-themed murals in Brisbane, Australia and London by local tattoo and graphics artist Mister Cartoon, and Steven Harrington’s animations on 3D billboards at New York’s Time Square and Penn Station and in Melbourne, Australia.
The initial campaign launched in September 2022, and has since generated more than $2 billion in incremental direct spending in Los Angeles,…
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