Brand USA, the destination-marketing organization for the US, has partnered with Spotify and is asking travelers to experience the culture of the country by listening to its music.
‘Hear the Music, Experience the USA’ is an integrated marketing campaign utilizing the power of music to promote international travel to the US. The campaign interprets Bobby Freeman’s iconic song, ‘Do You Wanna Dance?’ through different musical genres as envisioned by five innovative artists bringing the unique cultural sounds of their cities to life.
The campaign was created and executed by creative agency Mustache, working alongside MediaCom as Brand USA’s communications, data, and audience partner. To amplify the campaign, Brand USA has partnered with digital music service Spotify to enhance discovery and exploration options with more than 20 customized US city soundscape playlists. This dynamic storytelling tool presents a new way for Brand USA to inspire, invite, and welcome visitors from all over the world, according to a release.
The heart of this campaign lies with the five emerging artists selected to bring the sound of their respective city to life through original renditions of ‘Do You Wanna Dance?,’ including: Cam James, a hip-hop artist Atlanta, Georgia; Bass Physics, an electronic dance music artist from Denver, Colorado; Nathan Quick, a blues musician from Houston, Texas; rock ‘n’ rollers Reptaliens from Portland, Oregon; and soul artist Calma Carmona from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
As demonstrated through the styles of these artists, the United States’ music scene is constantly evolving and each region has a unique story to tell. By being exposed to these unique styles, prospective travelers get a taste of the eclectic cultural and musical soundtrack the United States offers.
“Music is a universal language that transcends language and cultural boundaries, and Hear the Music, Experience the USA presents an entertaining and highly engaging platform to showcase vibrant destinations across the United States,” said Tom Garzilli, chief marketing officer of Brand USA. “The artists’ passion for their cities shines through in each rendition as they reimagine a classic radio hit in a new digital streaming era. We’re hoping their contagious energy connects with culture-seeking tourists across the globe and inspires them to experience the United States in a new way.”
Brand USA’s partnership with Spotify will offer travelers the opportunity to explore the USA with 22 US city soundscape playlists. “We’re proud to partner with Brand USA, using music as an instrument to engage with international travelers and accessibly show the country’s abundance of culture, innovation, and creativity,” said Alex Faust, global head of Spotify’s MAP team.
Spotify creates each custom playlist based on the artists and genres that over-index in popularity with local users in each city. In doing so, each playlist reflects the current mood of the location, using music as a discovery travel tool. After listening to audio ads or viewing video content or digital display ads, Spotify users will be directed to the Visit The USA website to check out different cities, activities and music.
Visitors to the music landing music landing page on Brand USA’s consumer website, Visit The USA, can immerse themselves in the captivating and unique sounds from several noteworthy locations, learn about the five artists, listen to the 22 city-inspired Spotify playlists, look at photos, and explore suggested activities waiting to be experienced.
Hear The Music, Experience the USA represents a collaboration between Brand USA and Mustache, the creative agency responsible for identifying the song, artists, and conceiving and producing the creative centered on the unique power of American music as a cultural lens. Mediacom, Brand USA’s global media agency, provided the traveler insights and performance data underpinning the partnership.
Mustache: Brand USA 'Hear the Music, Experience the USA'