Brand USA’s Innovative New Campaign Uses Music as a Cultural Lens to Showcase Endless Possibilities for Travel in the United States

Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, announced Hear the Music, Experience the USA, an integrated marketing campaign utilizing the power of music to promote international travel to the United States. A unique exploration in sound, Hear the Music, Experience the USA 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 Mustache, a content-first creative agency, 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.

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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 (Cameron James Williams) – Hip-Hop; Atlanta, Georgia
• Bass Physics (Arja Adair) – Electronic Dance Music (EDM); Denver, Colorado
• Nathan Quick – Blues; Houston, Texas
• Reptaliens (Bambi and Cole Browning) – Rock ‘n’ Roll; Portland, Oregon
• Calma Carmona – Soul; 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 the sounds of electronic dance music (EDM) in Denver, the blues in Houston, rock ‘n’ roll in Portland, hip-hop in Atlanta, and soul in Puerto Rico, prospective travelers get a taste of the eclectic cultural and musical soundtrack the United States offers. Each version of the song balances the talents’ creative flair with the energy and style of music inherent to their location, and together, they demonstrate the incredible diversity of people, places, and experiences available in the United States.

“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. 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,” said Tom Garzilli, Chief Marketing Officer, Brand USA.

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Brand USA’s partnership with Spotify will offer travelers the unique opportunity to explore the USA with 22 U.S. city soundscape playlists. “We’re proud to partner with Brand USA, using music as an instrument to engage with international travelers and accessible show the country’s abundance of culture, innovation, and creativity,” said Alex Faust, Global Head MAP Team, Spotify.

Spotify creates each custom playlist based on the artists and genres that over-index in popularity with local users in each city. As such, each playlist reflects the current mood of the location, using music as a discovery travel tool, including everything from the upbeat Latin-inspired sounds of Miami, Florida to the industrial, Midwestern grit of Cleveland, Ohio. 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. The Hear the Music, Experience the USA content – and all of the rich features on the music page – will be featured in native languages in the following markets: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

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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.

The focus on sound in the campaign aligns with Brand USA’s new large format film, “America’s Musical Journey,” which explores America’s history through its distinctive music and sound. The integrated campaign and film engage the ears and the eyes, and from a small screen to big screen and everything in between, delivers an immersive experience for consumers.

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