EXPERIENCE DC
What does the world picture when they hear “Washington, DC”? We all see it: stock images of the U.S. Capitol Building and The White House, visions of democracy in action and politicians. That’s Washington. We want visitors to experience DC – a city of Michelin-starred restaurants, exciting nightlife, major-league sports, a dynamic arts community and diverse neighborhoods. Experience DC strips away potential travelers’ preconceived notions about our city and introduces (or reintroduces) them to the DC we all know and love.
A HOMEGROWN RECOVERY CAMPAIGN
Experience DC is first and foremost a recovery campaign. Created in partnership with Events DC, and launched on June 23, 2021 with DC Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, the campaign is aimed at generating broad economic impact by bringing visitors back to Washington, DC in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To bring this campaign to life, we engaged a woman- and Washingtonian-founded agency called January Third, based in Logan Circle. Together, we’ve created a campaign that is local at every touchpoint – from the font on our ads to the voice in our commercial – seamlessly blending the iconic aspects of our city and local flavor to tell a distinctly DC story.
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
Our media plan – and the creative that fulfills its placements – targets four audiences whose interests cover family activities, history, local culture and dining. Additionally, the media plan reaches individuals who reside within three target geographic markets: locals, consumers within a four-hour drive and a broader national audience of consumers who show travel intent. We’ve also layered an additional buy specifically aimed at Black, Latine and LGBTQ+ travelers.
Recovery advertising buys are mostly digital and include streaming video networks, interactive mobile units, targeted email blasts, digital out-of-home and more. The placements were developed alongside MMGY Global, whose most recent campaign with Destination DC yielded our highest return on investment in the organization’s history.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
Photography:
Imagery for Experience DC was captured through the lens of two local photographers, Jared Soares and Joshua Cogan. Each image speaks directly to a traveler-type and corresponding travel motivation – whether we’re engaging Cultured DC Fans with a stunning image of the REACH at the Kennedy Center, or exciting Family Travelers with a family-fun photo at a Washington Capitals game. Click on a photo below to learn more about the unique experience pictured.
Video:
Experience DC is brought to life with two 30-second commercials and seven audience-specific 15-second spots narrated by local poet Charity Blackwell, with music by local band The Funk Ark. The campaign also incorporates Spanish-language versions of all video assets.
Watch our 30-second spring/summer commercial here:
Click Here for the full campaign playlist.
The campaign videos highlight locations all across the city, including Ben’s Chili Bowl, No Kisses Bar, the REACH at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Mall, the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Hi Lawn at Union Market, Kingman Island, Anacostia Roller Rink, the National Arboretum, Capital One Arena, Del Mar, Jack Rose Dining Saloon, the National Gallery of Art, 9:30 Club and more.
You’ll also see cameo appearances by local artists, musicians and entertainers:
01
Legendary Go-Go band Experience Unlimited
02
The Lace Em Up skaters led by Kenneth “Rollo” Davis and the X-Rated Skate Group
03
Local ballerina Nya Cunningham
Print & Digital Executions:
Our print and digital ads were designed to evoke DC at every turn – from the more obvious inclusion of unique-to-DC experiences captured by a local photographer, to little nuances like a Civil Rights Era protest-inspired font designed by a local artist, Tré Seals.
Our digital-forward strategy allows us to target specific traveler-types by designing static and HTML5 ads tailored to our audience’s individual travel motivations and interests.
In addition to digital display units, the campaign features more traditional print placements and out-of-home, including a custom double-decker bus wrap with wide-screen video in Philadelphia.
WEBSITE CONTENT STRATEGY
All creative drives potential visitors to relevant pages, from the overarching Experience DC landing page to interest-based landing pages covering arts and culture, culinary experiences, history, family-friendly activities, Black history and culture and LGBTQ+ travel. Visitors to the website can discover more about the campaign from the washington.org homepage. The campaign utilizes personalization to connect users to relevant content, drive visitors to deals pages and increase site engagement. Paid search targets users searching for queries relevant to website content on Google and Bing, promote events, attractions and things to do, and support hotels via queries meant to drive incremental bookings.
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
Social media complements the campaign messaging primarily through user-generated content and the #ExperienceDC hashtag. Social media videos highlighting unique DC experiences are being shared on Instagram Reels and TikTok, and may contain audio and editing styles that are trending and are relatable to a broad audience. As part of the launch, a @visitwashingtondc Instagram Story highlighted the local creatives, artists and businesses whose talents helped make the campaign creative come to life. We’ll continue to integrate the hashtag #ExperienceDC throughout our organic social strategy and to local ambassadors.