Brand USA is to tap into celebrity culture to promote the US by producing a series of documentaries focusing on different states through the eyes of native personalities.
The first two of 56 half-hour episodes focus on Louisiana and South Carolina, with singer and actor Harry Connick Jnr and actress Andie McDowell respectively acting as “guides”. Four more episodes are currently being filmed, with plans to start screening in different markets from this autumn.
The documentaries are being made by broadcaster Peter Greenberg, who reports on destinations and travel news for US network CBS and formed a partnership with marketing organisation Brand USA last year.
The celebrity-focused programmes are part of a range of multimedia promotional material being produced by Brand USA.
Other projects include a ‘large-screen’ documentary about America’s National Parks designed to tie in with the centennial of the National Parks Service.
The documentary is due to be unveiled in autumn 2015, with a series of premiere events and wider distribution planned for the following spring.
Speaking at the IPW Conference in Orlando, Brand USA chief executive Chris Thompson said the organisation had contributed more than $6.5 billion in incremental spending and two million incremental visitors through its marketing efforts in the past two years.