Los Angeles announces record-breaking campaign investment

UK and Ireland-wide campaign includes spotlights on London and Manchester with eye-catching out of home placements in major stations, football matches and more.

The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LA Tourism) today announced its largest-ever investment in its “Now Playing” global promotional campaign. The campaign kicks off in Paris this week with the first-ever promotion in France and extends the organisation’s reach with advertising in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and South Korea. The eight-figure campaign is the largest campaign ever for LA Tourism, representing an unprecedented investment in terms of spend and global reach.

In the UK and Ireland, the ads span various media: Television, Out of Home, Video on Demand, Social, Native/Display, Online Video, Audio, In-Flight Video, and Search. Highlights will include LA street artist Mister Cartoon designing a Los Angeles mural outside London’s famous nightclub, Village Underground in Shoreditch – his first outdoor mural in the UK; LED boards pitch-side at upcoming Premier League and FA Cup football matches; and an LA takeover at Manchester Victoria station.

The announcement comes as Los Angeles continues to bolster tourism recovery and expects to achieve 93.8% of 2019 international tourism recovery levels by year-end. Los Angeles is expected to welcome 370,000 visitors from the UK and Ireland in 2024, an increase of 12.1% compared to 2023’s projected total of 330,000 visitors. This makes the UK and Ireland the 3rd largest market for overseas visitors to LA after China and Australia/New Zealand.

Francine Sheridan, Regional Vice President, Europe and ME, LA Tourism, said: “We are thrilled to continue our investment in the UK and Ireland with the next phase of the Now Playing campaign, inspiring visitors to choose LA for their next holiday. I’m particularly excited to see Mister Cartoon’s larger than life mural in Shoreditch and the LA takeover at Manchester Victoria station. The UK and Ireland remain a key focus for LA Tourism in 2024 – the 25^th anniversary year of LA Tourism’s UK office.”

The campaign features six product-driven 15-second spots crafted by award-winning film title innovators Imaginary Forces. The eye-catching motion graphics are driven by the iconoclastic tune “Wanna Be in LA” by SoCal’s own Eagles of Death Metal.

Since the campaign’s initial launch, ‘Now Playing’ has generated more than $2bn (£1.57bn/€1.84bn) in incremental direct spending in Los Angeles. Allied Global Marketing designed the strategy for the advertising campaign in nearly all markets, including the UK and Ireland.

Bill Karz, Senior Vice President of Brand and Digital Marketing, LA Tourism, said: “LA Tourism’s ‘Now Playing’ campaign has been the organization’s most successful to date, and we’re proud to continue to leverage the creative to venture into new international target markets. The launch in overseas markets like the UK and Ireland is particularly important because international guests tend to stay longer and contribute more to the local economy. Our approach with the spring launch allows us to showcase our incredible destination authentically, through the eyes of Angelenos themselves.”

The ‘Now Playing’ campaign launch coincides with what LA Tourism predicts will be a landmark year of arts, culture, sports, and entertainment in the destination. Marked by the eagerly awaited debuts of Destination Crenshaw and NHM Commons at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, alongside marquee events such as Frieze LA and PST ART: Art & Science Collide, in 2024, Los Angeles will reaffirm its status as a global arts and cultural capital.

As LA Tourism shines a spotlight on LA’s arts and culture offerings, it will also continue the momentum in sports and entertainment as LA receives the Olympic torch from Paris this summer for the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games and as it gears up to host major events including NBA All-Star 2026, the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, FIFA World Cup 2026 and Super Bowl LXI in 2027.

In addition to world-class art and cultural institutions, 11 professional sports teams, hidden games in every neighbourhood and 25 Michelin-starred restaurants, Los Angeles is also undergoing a remarkable $30 billion modernisation project at Los Angeles International Airport. The project stands as a testament to the City’s commitment to innovation and providing world-class travel experiences. Now more than ever, Los Angeles is often referred to as “LA 2.0” to describe the new activities and demand generators in the destination. With so many things to discover, Los Angeles Tourism recently revealed its 24 Reasons to Visit Los Angeles in 2024 to highlight something for every traveller.

For more inspiration and recommendations on all the unique ways to experience Los Angeles across the seven regions, visit DiscoverLosAngeles.com.