Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
joined Universal Studios President Larry Kurzweil and Mark Liberman, CEO of
LA INC. to roll out “That’s
So LA” – a new marketing campaign designed to attract visitors to local landmarks, expand tourism, and create good-paying jobs.

“Tourism is the lifeblood of our economy, and we
cannot afford to let the benefits of this industry stop flowing to the heart of
our City,” Villaraigosa said. “This campaign is L.A.’s latest
blockbuster hit, and standing center stage and playing the leading role is a
new set of ads and images that lead tourists and Angelenos to think to
themselves: ‘That’s SO LA’.”

The campaign features a series of ads that highlight unique
sites around the City and showcase major attractions and top personalities in
new and exciting ways. This effort includes images of basketball stars Kobe
Bryant and Baron Davis; Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson; Lauren Conrad, star of
“The Hills”; and soccer phenom David Beckham.

“Tourism is the second largest
industry in Los Angeles. 
For every 4 percent increase in tourism, we get an additional $12 million for
the General Fund,” Councilmember Janice Hahn said. “That is why, particularly in this
difficult economy, we need to focus on attracting visitors from around the
world.”
 

The campaign will be marketed through a mix of media
channels consisting of a robust on-line marketing strategy, and regional print
and radio buys. Specific focus will be placed on Southern
California and the San Francisco Bay Area, LA’s largest
feeder market. Locally, visitors and residents will soon be seeing ads at LAX
terminals; and over the next few months, it will be rolled out on-line to key
domestic and international markets.

“Initially, the new campaign will target regional
visitors and promote cost effective vacation alternatives for Southern
California visitors looking for an adventurous ‘staycation’ or
getaway closer to home,” said Mark Liberman. “Our plan is to take
advantage of the 21 million people living right here in Southern
California because the regional visitor offers the greatest
potential for LA tourism in the coming months.”

Timed to coincide with the launch of this campaign is the
debut of LA INC.’s expanded and revamped website, www.discoverlosangeles.com, where
visitors and Angelenos can find local attractions, make reservations, and book
hotel rooms throughout the LA area. The website also offers residents the
opportunity to help build the tourism effort by creating their own
advertisements online.

Tourism represents the second-largest industry in Los Angeles, supporting
more than 250,000 jobs and bringing in $14.2 billion in the past year. In
addition, the City attracted 26 million visitors in 2008 and continued to serve
as a primary destination for travelers from South
Korea, Japan,
China, Mexico, El
Salvador and locations throughout Europe and the United States.