Los Angeles Tourism Embarks on Largest Ad Campaign Spend Ever

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 6:00 PM ET, Mon January 29, 2024

Los Angeles Tourism is set to launch its largest-ever advertising spend as part of a massive global marketing program that includes a first-ever promotion to attract visitors from France and a ramped-up effort in South Korea.

As part of the global promotion campaign, dubbed “Now Playing” the organization is set to spend in the eight figures in 2024, which is a record for Los Angeles Tourism.

The campaign is slated to kick-off in Paris on February 1 and will ultimately expand to include the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, and South Korea. The advertising blitz in those markets will include television, out of home, video on demand, cable, social, native/display, online video, in-flight video, search, and podcast.

“I’m really proud of the fact that we placed ads strategically in all these international markets,” Senior Vice President of Brand & Digital Marketing for Los Angeles Tourism, Bill Karz, told TravelPulse during a recent interview.

The record-breaking ad spend is part of Los Angeles’ continued effort to bolster its post-pandemic tourism recovery, particularly by attracting visitors from international markets.

"There are so many amazing cities around the world that we’re competing with, we want to make sure people making that long haul journey overseas come to visit us,” Karz said.

Officials expect Los Angeles to reach 93.8 percent of its 2019 visitation levels by the end of this year. The city is expecting to welcome 6.9 million travelers, a figure that includes 4.3 million visitors from overseas markets. China, the U.K., Australia, France, Japan, and Korea collectively make up half of the total projected overseas arrivals.

France and South Korea Take Center Stage

As part of reaching its 2024 visitation goals, Los Angeles Tourism is betting heavily on two key markets in particular: France and South Korea

The organization will be making its “biggest investment ever in South Korea” this year, Karz said.

“We’ve only dabbled in South Korea in the past,” continued Karz, who said there’s a “strong affinity for Los Angeles in the South Korean market.”

As for France, 2024 marks the first time Los Angeles Tourism has invested in that country as a source market. But there’s high hopes for its potential.

“There are over 330,000 potential visitors in France,” Karz explained. “We’re looking for France to be our fourth largest source market. So it’s imperative for us to be in that market.”

Los Angeles Tourism is hoping to reach potential travelers with six product-driven 15-second spots crafted by award-winning film title innovators Imaginary Forces. The motion graphics are driven by the iconoclastic tune “Wanna Be in LA” by SoCal’s own Eagles of Death Metal.

To kick off the ‘Now Playing’ launch next week in Paris, an event will be held at the Kimpton St Honoré Paris, featuring “What's New in LA” and “a taste of Venice Beach," which will include a roller-skating activation.

In the South Korea market there will be unique tailored advertising featuring RCA and SM Entertainment’s k-pop boy band, RIIZE and their song “Get a Guitar."

The collaboration marks a first-of-its-kind partnership between a U.S. city destination marketing organization and a Korean entertainment agency, Karz said.

Even with the increased emphasis on two key destinations and several other global markets, full recovery of inbound overseas visitation for Los Angeles is not expected to be achieved until 2025.

But the hope is that the launch of this expansive new campaign in key markets will help accelerate the pace of that recovery for the destination in order to help support “the hundreds of local businesses who depend on tourism for their livelihoods,” said Adam Burke, Los Angeles Tourism president and CEO.