NYC Uses Barter In Major International Advertising Effort

New York has rolled out its first multinational ad campaign as it battles stiff international competition to bring in tourists. Tagged “This Is New York City,” the effort highlights the wide range of activities and sights of the Big Apple.

The campaign will be aired on TV in Spain, Ireland, France and the United Kingdom. Billboards are planned for Brazil, Portugal, Italy and Spain, while print is ready to go in countries including South Africa and Germany.

NYC & Company, the city's tourism office, has pushed hard overseas, signing up marketing reps and running smaller outdoor campaigns in the U.K. and Ireland. The new TV spots will be the first to appear on foreign television.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to boost the number of annual tourists to 50 million from 44 million by 2015. The heavy focus is on overseas visitors, because they tend to stay longer and spend more. Tourism already pours an estimated $24 billion into the city each year.

TV spots feature a contemporary remix of Ella Fitzgerald singing “Take the A Train,” showing icons like Times Square, Coney Island and the Staten Island Ferry. The print and outdoor executions showcase cultural attractions, shopping, and entertainment.

Ads will also run domestically on cable network The History Channel and in cities including Boston, Philadelphia and Miami. The effort will cost $4.75 million, and also has bartered ad space to the tune of $25 million, NYC & Company revealed.