Shortlisted 2019

Travel & Tourism

Brand

Visit the USA

Entered by:

Brand USA

Credits:

MediaCom, Spotify, Mustache

Hear the Music, Experience the USA

The Challenge

Global Barriers:

  • Economical: A strong U.S. dollar makes it seem like other destinations are cheaper to visit. As a result,
    international visitors find the U.S. to be too expensive and cost prohibitive.
  • Uncertainty around travel policies: Changes to visa and entry policies by the USA have reinforced the perception that we are unwelcoming to tourists.

The Strategy

Give a voice to real travel experiences within the USA!! Individual voices, each expressing their own particular point
of view, can collectively overcome the perception that the U.S. is unwelcoming or expensive. The United States is the
world’s melting pot. A country and culture created from disparate societies, blended together by time and
circumstance. Music is amongst the greatest cultural consequences to come out of this melting pot. Authentic beats
and rhythm, thrown together, mixed up and crafted into legendary genres. Grounded in the spirit of American music, we want to capture the imagination of global travelers by taking them on a journey of discovery into the beats that have helped power the heart of the United States. The focus on sound in the campaign aligns with Brand USA large format film, “America’s Musical Journey,” which explores America’s history through its distinctive music and sound. The integrated campaign and film engage the ears and the eyes, and from small screen to big screen and everything in between, delivers an immersive experience for consumers. This will be targeted to a global audience of frequent travelers ages 18-54, with market specific & campaign nuances, who are looking for adventurous, local, and personal travel experiences.

The Implementation

Brand USA, the destination-marketing organization for the United States, launched Hear the Music, Experience the
USA, an integrated marketing campaign from April – September 2018 utilizing the power of music to promote
international travel to the United States. A unique exploration in sound, Hear the Music, Experience the USA
interprets Bobby Freeman’s iconic song, “Do You Wanna Dance?” through different musical genres as envisioned by
five innovative artists bringing the unique cultural sounds of their cities to life. To amplify the campaign, Brand USA
had partnered with digital music service Spotify to enhance discovery and exploration options with more than 20
customized U.S. city soundscape playlists. This dynamic storytelling tool presents a new way for Brand USA to
inspire, invite, and welcome visitors from all over the world.

The heart of this campaign lies with the five emerging artists selected to bring the sound of their respective city to life
through original renditions of “Do You Wanna Dance?,” including:

Cam James (Cameron James Williams) – Hip-Hop; Atlanta, Georgia
Bass Physics (Arja Adair) – Electonric Dance Music (EDM); Denver, Colorado
Nathan Quick – Blues; Houston, Texas
Reptaliens (Bambi and Cole Browning) – Rock ‘n’ Roll; Portland, Oregon
Calma Carmona – Soul; San Juan, Puerto Rico

As demonstrated through the styles of these artists, the United States’ music scene is constantly evolving and each
region has a unique story to tell. By being exposed to the sounds of EDM in Denver, the blues in Houston, rock ‘n’
roll in Portland, hip-hop in Atlanta, and soul in Puerto Rico, prospective travelers get a taste of the eclectic cultural
and musical soundtrack the United States offers. Each version of the song balances the talents’ creative flair with the
energy and style of music inherent to their location, and together, they demonstrate the incredible diversity of
people, places, and experiences available in the United States.

The campaign was distributed across Visit The USA’s consumer digital ecosystem. Content ranging from video cutdowns
to music videos were amplified via mass awareness and storytelling tactics such as display, OLV, social, native
and Spotify.

The Result

The campaign achieved over $5.8 million in earned media value & $69 million in earned media impressions. The
Spotify destination playlists were streamed over 29K times, with an average of 21 minutes per session. Social
achieved over 3 million in engagements. Across 10 international markets & tactics, the campaign produced over 70
million in digital engagements. Markets include India, France, South Korea, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico and United Kingdom.