Visit California extends campaign via Mering Carson inviting us to ‘play’ in the Golden State
As reported by Campaign Brief late last year, Visit California is unveiling its Australian consumer marketing campaign this month with new TV spots via Mering Carson with Qantas returning as an integral campaign partner.
Airing 27 January through to 16 March, the TV commercials “Dreamers” and “Kids at Play” encourage Australian travellers to ‘Play’ and ‘Dream Big’ on their next California vacation. Special Qantas deals and calls to action for travel to California will feature during this period, extending the campaign reach through Qantas marketing channels.
Says Caroline Beteta, Visit California president and chief executive officer: “The new ‘Dreamers’ commercial shows how our fun-loving, free spirited vibe encourages visitors to follow their dreams here to California – and not just to the more obvious places like Silicon Valley or Hollywood.”
“The ‘Kids at Play’ commercial is our first ever dedicated family travel initiative. We’re encouraging modern families to come to California for a good, old-fashioned ‘unplugged’ vacation.”
Teen actor Rico Rodriguez, from ABC sitcom “Modern Family”, leads a cast of children unplugged from technology enjoying California’s beaches, theme parks, zoos, aquariums, museums, national parks and resorts in “Kids at Play”. The spot juxtaposes kid-friendly activities with dialogue that plays on common digital technology and social media terms. This is the first time a Visit California commercial has only featured children.
The 30-second versions of “Dreamers” and “Kids at Play” will air nationally for six weeks as part of Visit California’s $2 million consumer marketing investment in Australia for the 13/14 fiscal year. It is the sixth consumer campaign that Visit California has activated in the Australian market since 2010 and the second campaign partnership with Qantas. The continued investment reflects the vital role tourism from the Australian market continues to play in California’s travel and tourism industry. In 2012, Australia was California’s fourth largest overseas market with 522,000 visitors. Visitation is forecast to reach 617,000 in 2016.