Houston Launches First Global Image CampaignFebruary 11, 2008
Contact Information: Studies have shown that Houston has no image—not positive, not negative. People don’t know what to expect when they visit for the first time. Studies have also shown that Houston’s strongest asset is its people. Visitors and residents alike frequently comment on the hospitality of Houstonians. America’s fourth largest city is diverse enough to be all things to all people, and the new My Houston campaign showcases the real Houston from a variety of perspectives. The My Houston Campaign In early 2007, the GHCVB created a 12-minute documentary called One Day in Houston. The short film was created to illustrate a day in the life of Houston to potential visitors and meeting planners. It was not a promotional video, but a film to showcase the “real” Houston. The GHCVB enlisted local celebrities on a volunteer basis to narrate the unscripted film—heavyweight champ and griller extraordinaire George Foreman, Project Runway winner Chloe Dao, African-American prima ballerina Lauren Anderson, soccer star Brian Ching and Grammy winner Yolanda Adams. Each celebrity had an entirely different view of the city, and it came across in the film. In fact, the film was so well-received that local universities and corporations are using it as a recruiting tool, and thousands of people have watched it on social Web sites such as YouTube. “We realized that the authenticity of this film resonated well with locals and visitors,” said Thomas Jones, GHCVB chairman. “We knew we had found the premise of our print campaign.” After nearly nine months of contacting celebrities, the GHCVB has a roster of about 25 participants in the campaign. The series presents the many facets of Houston to a potential visitor. There are so many different “Houstons” to see—visitors can take some advice from some of Houston’s best-known residents: • Beyonce: “When I describe Houston to friends who have never been here, I first have to tell them, no, it's not like the country films you see on TV! You get nice southern people with a city atmosphere.” • Yao Ming: “When I first arrived here, I did not know what to expect and if I would be accepted. I have been here now for five seasons, and my family and I really like Houston. Everyone has been very kind and supportive of us.” • Jim Nantz, CBS Sports Commentator: “Houston is a forward thinking, progressive, architecturally-advanced and ethnically diverse city. It has a great vibe. My family always thought Houston was the "IT" city. And we still do.” • Larry Kellner, CEO, Continental Airlines: “In addition to being an important business center and a great place to raise a family, Houston has a thriving art scene and theater district, great shopping, superb school systems and educational opportunities and many top restaurants. We fly all over the world, but we only come home to one city, and that’s Houston, Texas.” • Dr. Denton Cooley, President and Surgeon-In-Chief, Texas Heart Institute: The spirit of citizenry in this city is unique. People feel possessive about Houston. They don’t just live here, they own it. The philanthropic generosity stems from that mentality. • Chandra Wilson, actor, Grey’s Anatomy: “You have to see downtown Houston for the skyline, you have to see the famous Astrodome, you have to visit the Galleria and go skating, and you have to take the full ride around the 610 loop. Houston is special because it is the perfect mixture of different cultures, the arts, big city influence, neighborhood intimacy, good old fashioned ranch living and a lot of Texas pride.” • Oscar de la Rosa, Latin Grammy winner: “Houston is one of the most culturally diverse cities I know. I have traveled a lot with La Mafia, and it is difficult to find a city with so many people from all over the world living side by side in such an accepting manner.” Other participants in the campaign include racecar driver A.J. Foyt, PBS TV host Bill Stubbs, rock band Blue October, Houston Dynamo soccer star Brian Ching, Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, Project Runway winner Chloe Dao, country music stars Clay Walker and Clint and Lisa Hartman Black, NFL Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak, President George and Barbara Bush, heavyweight champ George Foreman, entertainers Hilary and Haylie Duff, PGA golfer KJ Choi, All My Children actor Leven Rambin, Latin Grammy winner Oscar de la Rosa and Grammy winning Gospel star Yolanda Adams. Celebrities with ads in progress include Shell Oil CEO John Hofmeister, Rolling Stone/Vanity Fair photographer Mark Seliger, Olympic gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi, country music singer Kenny Rogers and rapper Chamillionaire. Each ad sends readers to the Web site, www.VisitMyHouston.com, for more information on each celebrity and the rest of their thoughts on Houston. The Details The print ads will begin running in the global edition of The Wall Street Journal and the national edition of USA Today in February. Ads will also run in Texas Monthly, Continental magazine and Houston magazine. Readers will also see the My Houston campaign in Cooking Light, the New York Times Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, AARP, Gourmet, National Geographic Traveler, Southern Living and Travel + Leisure through a co-op advertising program with the State of Texas. All celebrities donated their time to participate in this campaign. The Trend Houston is not the first brand to enlist the help of celebrities to promote a product. Just last year, New York launched the Just Ask the Locals campaign, in which New York celebrities encouraged tourists to ask locals for help when visiting the city. Dallas, Louisiana and California have had celebrity-based campaigns as well. The My Houston campaign is unique for a couple of reasons: • Houston has arguably the most diverse selection of participants of any celebrity-based campaign—both ethnically and professionally. The campaign reflects the diversity of the city. • The development of the campaign was as organic as the campaign itself. As so many celebrities reiterated in their testimonials, Houston is a large city with a small-town mentality. The GHCVB utilized Houston’s tight network to invite people to participate. This campaign was not generated by a high-profile agency with lots of celebrity contacts—it was generated by the community. Why Now? The My Houston campaign is just one of many developments launching in 2008: • Downtown Houston is undergoing incredible revitalization with the development of Discovery Green downtown park. The park, which replaces 12 acres of surface parking lots, will bring year-round arts programming to downtown Houston, in addition to two destination restaurants inside the park, a pond, jogging trails and more. • More than a half-dozen high-profile projects mixing entertainment, retail and restaurants are under development around the city. The projects, which total well over $1 billion, promote high-density, urban growth, offering the ability to walk more and drive less. Projects include Houston Pavilions in downtown (to be completed Fall 2008); Regent Square just west of downtown (to be completed in 2010); BLVD Place in Uptown (to be completed in 2009); West Ave in River Oaks (to be completed in early 2009); and CityCentre in West Houston (to be completed in 2008). • In May, Houston will likely become the 11th city in North America to offer a CityPass to the top eight attractions in the city. “We wanted this campaign to be authentic,” said Jones. “We can tell you how great Houston is, but it means a little more coming from someone else. This is quite possibly the coolest focus group we could’ve put together to gain insight on what makes our city special. Beyonce doesn’t have to promote Houston—she wants to. And we hope this resonates with visitors. We hope they want to see this place for themselves.” ### |
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