Brand USA is to create a range of travel trade selling tools as part of a new campaign called United Stories.
The destination marketing organisation is to send a ‘mobile content creation lab’ across the US, creating content such as videos and images which will be tailored to different markets to inspire international travellers.
The lab will move around the country in a range of vehicles, including vintage cars and even boats, which will be decorated in distinctive designs incorporating American graphics such as state flags and National Park posters.
The resulting content and suggested itineraries will then be hosted on a range of channels, including Brand USA’s dedicated travel trade website.
The United Stories campaign launches on Tuesday in the geographical centre of the US, Belle Fourche, South Dakota, with six Instagram “influencers” joining French street artist Etienne Bardelli (pictured), who has created the visual design for the vehicles.
Future content will be created by both locals and regular visitors to the US and is likely to expand to include live coverage from events such as the Coachella music festival and visits inspired by local recommendations.
Tracy Lanza, Brand USA’s vice-president for integrated marketing, said: “I see this as a multi-year initiative and we want to make sure we are exciting and inspiring the consumer and the travel trade at the same time.
“United Stories will include content from influencers, artists, locals, industry experts and travellers themselves, and we believe that will provide the trade with a rich source of inspiration to share with customers.”
Tom Garzilli, chief marketing officer, added: “As a nation, we want to share our stories with the world and invite them to experience our people and destinations first-hand.
“United Stories will help travellers understand places more deeply, meet real people, and uncover local perspectives to activate their wanderlust.”