LOS ANGELES TOURISM UNVEILS RECORD-BREAKING EIGHT-FIGURE INVESTMENT IN ‘NOW PLAYING’ GLOBAL AD CAMPAIGN, INCLUDING FIRST TIME ADVERTISING IN FRANCE
France campaign includes spotlight on Paris with eye-catching out of home placements in central Paris and throughout the city on buses
The campaign represents the organization’s largest ad spend ever as it bolsters international tourism recovery by entering new markets, including France
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PARIS - 1 February 2024 – The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LA Tourism) today announces its largest-ever investment in its "Now Playing" global promotional campaign. The campaign kicks off in Paris this week with the first-ever promotion in France and extends the organization’s reach with advertising in the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and South Korea. The eight-figure campaign is the largest campaign ever for LA Tourism, representing an unprecedented investment in terms of spend and global reach.
To commemorate the ‘Now Playing’ launch, an event is being held today (1 February) at the Kimpton St Honoré Paris, showcasing “What's New in LA” and a taste of Venice Beach with a roller-skating activation. This celebration, attended by Chris Heywood, Senior Vice President, Global Communications at Los Angeles Tourism, holds special significance as France prepares to pass the Olympic torch to LA this summer. Additionally, the country holds the distinction of being LA’s fourth-largest source of overseas travel.
Chris Heywood, Senior Vice President, Global Communications, said: “I’m privileged to be here in Paris representing Los Angeles Tourism at the global launch of our spring Now Playing campaign. It is the first time we have advertised in France, showing the importance of this key market, and I am confident that the campaign will inspire French travellers to put LA at the top of their must-visit list.”
The announcement comes as Los Angeles continues to bolster tourism recovery and expects to achieve 93.8% of 2019 international tourism recovery levels by year-end. In 2024, LA Tourism estimates that 330,000 French tourists will have visited the City of Angels, and LA’s appeal is growing. Nearly one French person in two is likely to visit LA in the next five years.
In France, the ads span various media: Out of Home, Video on Demand, Social, Native/Display, Online Video, and Podcasts. Highlights will also include LA streetsides all around Paris as well as an LA takeover of Paris buses.
Francine Sheridan, Regional Vice President, Europe and ME, LA Tourism, said: “We are thrilled to continue our investment in France with the next phase of the Now Playing campaign, inspiring visitors to choose Los Angeles for their 2024 holiday. Our global campaign launch event in Paris today (1 February), highlights the importance of the French market for LA Tourism. The event celebrates the connection between LA and Paris: the next two hosts of the Olympic Games.”
The Now Playing campaign features six product-driven 15-second spots crafted by award-winning film title innovators, Imaginary Forces. The eye-catching motion graphics are driven by the iconoclastic tune “Wanna Be in LA” by SoCal’s own Eagles of Death Metal.
In a unique approach tailored for the Korean market, LA Tourism has engaged RCA and SM Entertainment’s K-pop boy band, RIIZE, to provide its song “Get a Guitar” to play in the commercials. The collaboration marks a first-of-its-kind partnership between a U.S. city destination marketing organization and a Korean entertainment agency and seeks to increase brand awareness and keep the destination top-of-mind to Korean travelers. The collaboration is one of a larger strategy in the market, which LA Tourism anticipates will bring 310,000 visitors to the destination by year-end.
Since the campaign’s initial launch, ‘Now Playing’ has generated more than $2 billion in incremental direct spending in Los Angeles. Allied Global Marketing designed the strategy for the advertising campaign.
“LA Tourism’s ‘Now Playing’ campaign has been the organization’s most successful to date, and we’re proud to continue to leverage the creative to venture into new international target markets. The launch in markets like France is particularly important because international guests tend to stay longer and contribute more to the local economy. Our approach with the Spring launch allows us to showcase our incredible destination authentically, through the eyes of Angelenos themselves,” said Bill Karz, Senior Vice President of Brand and Digital Marketing.
The ‘Now Playing’ campaign launch coincides with what LA Tourism predicts will be a landmark year of arts, culture, sports, and entertainment in the destination. Marked by the eagerly awaited debuts of Destination Crenshaw and NHM Commons at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, alongside marquee events such as Frieze LA and PST ART: Art & Science Collide, in 2024, Los Angeles will reaffirm its status as a global arts and cultural capital. The destination is also set to debut eagerly-anticipated attractions, including LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries (late 2024), the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (2025) and the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center (open date forthcoming).
As LA Tourism shines a spotlight on LA’s arts and culture offerings, it will also continue the momentum in sports and entertainment as LA receives the Olympic torch from Paris this summer for the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games and as it gears up to host major events including NBA All-Star 2026, the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, FIFA World Cup 26 and Super Bowl LXI in 2027.
In addition to world-class art and cultural institutions, 11 professional sports teams, hidden games in every neighborhood and 25 Michelin-starred restaurants, Los Angeles is also undergoing a remarkable $30 billion modernization project at Los Angeles International Airport. The project stands as a testament to the City’s commitment to innovation and providing world-class travel experiences. Now more than ever, Los Angeles is often referred to as “LA 2.0” to describe all of the new activities and demand generators in the destination. With so many things to discover, Los Angeles Tourism recently revealed its 24 Reasons to Visit Los Angeles in 2024 to highlight something for every traveler.
For more inspiration and recommendations on all of the unique ways to experience Los Angeles across the seven regions, visit DiscoverLosAngeles.com.
