Visit Philadelphia Debuts New Video Series Honoring The Diversity of Hispanic and Latino Cultures in America

PHILADELPHIA, September 15, 2023 – Visit Philadelphia on Friday launched Hispanic Voices, a cultural-awareness campaign that spotlights the rich diversity within Hispanic and Latino communities while honoring community members’ distinct American identities. This campaign, launching to coincide with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, centers around a 30-second TV spot and social media campaign that highlights 35 diverse Hispanic Philadelphians representing all ages, walks of life and industries including arts, culinary, media, tourism and entrepreneurship.

The campaign also features a four-part social media video series highlighting representatives from the four largest Hispanic communities in Philadelphia, as indicated by recent census data: Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican and Colombian. They candidly share their experiences and discuss the intersection of race and ethnicity while offering insights into their preference for being called either Hispanic or Latino, and reflect on the significance of embracing their American identity.

The Storytellers

• Jael Conde, Colombian-American
• Nasheli Ortiz-Gonzalez, Puerto Rican
• Victor Tejada, Dominican-American
• Ja-mel Vereen, Mexican and Black-American

“I’m excited to announce our newest initiative, Hispanic Voices, which underscores the diversity of Philadelphia’s Latino and Hispanic communities and celebrates their unique heritage, language and individual identities while simultaneously acknowledging they are, in fact, also American,” says Angela Val, president and CEO at Visit Philadelphia. “Hispanic Voices is the result of Visit Philadelphia’s longstanding commitment to deepening our understanding of this vibrant community and addressing the unique challenges members experience in their day-to-day lives. We debuted our inaugural campaign celebrating Hispanic heritage in 2005, and we are just as committed to telling the stories of these Philadelphians almost 20 years later.”

To shape this campaign, Visit Philadelphia collaborated with local Hispanic organizations to select the 35 individuals representing 10 Hispanic and Latino cultures featured in the 30-second TV spot and interviews on visitphilly.com. The tourism marketing organization engaged key leaders of Philadelphia’s Hispanic community to identify the unique challenges and opportunities they face in the country today. Participants emphasized their pride in both their Hispanic heritage and identifying as an American, alongside the struggle of not always feeling fully accepted by either culture.

“Visit Philadelphia wanted to leverage our platform to celebrate the diversity and pride that exists within the city’s Hispanic and Latino population. We recognize that these communities are often overlooked, with brands regularly reducing them to a single, monolithic group,” says Neil Frauenglass, chief marketing officer at Visit Philadelphia. “We champion diversity year-round in our marketing efforts, and through the personal narratives in this campaign we vividly convey the diversity within these communities that is integral to our country’s vibrant culture.”

Starting September 15th, a 30-second spot is airing on streaming services like Hulu, Netflix and Peacock. With a $150,000 ad buy, this campaign will generate over 4 million impressions, reaching both Hispanic, Latino and general market audiences in the top 25 U.S. Hispanic and Latino markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Miami and Houston. The four-part video series will live on Visit Philadelphia web and social platforms and be promoted through a paid social media campaign. The paid portion of Hispanic Voices will run through October. 15, 2023, but Visit Philadelphia will continue to market to Hispanic audiences all year round.

Hispanic Voices serves as the second installment of In Pursuit of A More Perfect Union, a compelling series of PSA-style videos developed by Visit Philadelphia to showcase the city as the premiere welcoming, inclusive and respectful destination for U.S. travel. The series is a fresh take on how the birthplace of the nation commemorates heritage months.

Through thought-provoking PSA-style videos, this cultural-awareness campaign highlights Philadelphia as more than just a cool travel destination; it’s a welcoming sanctuary for all. In Pursuit of A More Perfect Union debuted during Pride Month with Drag Queen Story Time at Independence Hall.

As the official destination marketing organization for the city, Visit Philadelphia works to honor the nation’s history, while also acknowledging that the Founding Fathers’ vision of America does not reflect many of the societal values held today. This series serves as an educational platform, aimed at bringing Americans closer to realizing a more perfect union.

To learn more about Hispanic Voices, please visit visitphilly.com/hispanicvoices to watch all of the videos and view the photo collage.

About Visit Philadelphia

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 site an effective trip-planning tool. Visitors can also find loads of inspiration on Visit Philly’s social media channels.

Note to Editors: For high-resolution photos and high-definition B-roll of Greater Philadelphia, visit the Photos & Video section of visitphilly.com/mediacenter.