NYC & Company, Nickelodeon Expand Family Travel Partnership

NYC & Company is expanding its partnership with leading kids entertainment brand Nickelodeon as part of a new multiplatform advertising campaign encouraging family travel to New York City.

The partnership includes a trio of official NYC family ambassadors: SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, and the return of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for a third straight year.

Beginning Tuesday, a national outdoor media campaign will debut in New York, Boston, Chicago and 22 national shopping malls. Meanwhile, a targeted digital and social campaign will run throughout the summer with the goal of leading families to a refreshed family section at NYCgo.com/family.

The website will feature age-specific content, comprehensive guides, itineraries and curated experiences. The online content will be themed to correspond to the three Nickelodeon properties: teens (SpongeBob SquarePants), tweens (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and young children (PAW Patrol).

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"After more than a decade promoting New York City as a family-friendly destination, we are pleased to expand our partnership with Nickelodeon to advance our family travel platform utilizing new family brand properties SpongeBob SquarePants and PAW Patrol, in addition to building on the appeal of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," said NYC & Company president and CEO Fred Dixon in a statement. "By lending us three of their influential and diverse brands simultaneously, we have a unique opportunity to target three individual micro-audiences within the family segment, showcasing how all ages can enjoy New York City."

"From the continued success of PAW Patrol with our preschool audience to SpongeBob’s critically acclaimed debut on Broadway and the vibrant new look of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, these beloved characters truly embody the endless fun and exciting experiences found throughout New York City for kids and families of all ages," added Pam Kaufman, President, Viacom/Nickelodeon Global Consumer Products.

A handful of family-friendly attractions have or are about to open across the city, including Gulliver's Gate, National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey, the NFL Experience at Times Square, Opry City Stage, Spyscape and Ocean Wonders: Sharks! at New York Aquarium.

NYC & Company estimates that 12.8 million family travelers visited the Big Apple last year, up from 11.9 million in 2016.