Beginning today, those traveling in Times Square and Penn Station in New York City, those commuting in Suburban Station in Philadelphia and those scrolling through expedia.com for travel inspiration will see bold invitations to “Pack Light. Plan Big. For Philly.” this spring and beyond. The ads are part of VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s $2 million spring advertising campaign to woo leisure travelers and regional residents back to Philadelphia in the wake of COVID-19.
“Travel trends indicate that people are ready to start traveling to big cities again,” said Neil Frauenglass, chief marketing officer, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. “Our campaign aims to show and tell them that a trip to Philadelphia is easy from the planning stage to the doing stage. And not only is it easy, it’s unlike other big-city experiences in plenty of other ways too. A Philadelphia getaway delivers unexpected surprises every step of the way thanks to our James Beard Award-winning restaurants, our vibrant art scene, our blockbuster museum offerings like Harry Potter: The Exhibition, our wide-open spaces and our small-town charm.”
The Creative Campaign:
The “Pack Light. Plan Big. For Philly.” ads highlight Philly’s great attractions (its iconic historical sites, top-notch museums, raved-about restaurants and sprawling parks and gardens), along with its ease, low-key vibe and welcoming nature — attributes that make it stand apart from other major cities. Lines include: “Plan on two days that don’t feel like the other five,” “Plan on being wowed by more than our cheesesteaks,” “Plan on a tiny drive to a gigantic weekend” and “Plan on making WFH, work from here.”
Where The Campaign Will Run:
Designed to drive day and overnight leisure visitation, the campaign begins its run on April 4 with a series of ads in Times Square and Penn Station (New York City); on screens in Suburban Station, throughout Center City and on I-676 (Philadelphia); on expedia.com; and in paid ads on social media. Later in the campaign’s run, ads will begin appearing in buses in Washington, DC and Baltimore, on Amtrak, in Philadelphia newspapers and on a TV spot airing on Comcast and beyond.
Why Advertise Locally?:
Nearly half of the advertising appears in the Philadelphia DMA. In addition to digital screens in busy commuter areas throughout Center City, the campaign will run TV and radio spots, along with print ads in various newspapers. Among them: Philadelphia Gay News, The Philadelphia Tribune, South Philly Review. The goal? To build awareness of and pride in the campaign among locals, who often host visiting friends and relatives, and to inspire regional residents who commute into the city for work to plan a weekend getaway in Philadelphia to rediscover the wonders of their own backyard.
VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy.
On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website, visitphilly.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets. 6th & Market Streets, (800) 537-7676
Note to Editors: For high-resolution photos and high-definition B-roll of Greater Philadelphia, visit the Photos & Video section of visitphilly.com/mediacenter.