ERIK DARGITZ
creative copywriter
HAPPINESS IS CALLING
- brand campaign -
san diego tourism authority
Happiness is Calling. That’s how we invite people to San Diego, by positioning it as a destination that, simply put, brings a smile to your face. It’s the natural beauty and the weather, sure, but it’s also the lifestyle, the people and the good-vibes-all-over attitude that make this place positively one of a kind. It’s exactly that perfect cocktail that we’ve brought to every facet of San Diego Tourism Authority’s brand campaign, across all channels.
PHASE 1 - "Summer Feeling"
2016 - 2018
Okay, so it wasn't really Phase 1. We've been working on the "Happiness is Calling" campaign for years, but this feels like a good place to start. If you want to dive deeper into San Diego Tourism Authority's advertising history, you just let me know. This look and feel ran for a couple years and really evolved the brand. Here are some print ads—a good representation of the campaign’s personality—and a TV spot.
It's nothin' but sunshine in San Diego's print ads.
tv
San Diego's TV spot kept the good feels comin'.
awards
This SDTA brand campaign received a couple shiny things in the last few years, too, if you're into that sort of thing.
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Best Branded & Integrated Marketing Campaign Over $10 Million — U.S. Travel Association 2016 Destiny Award (Winner)
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Best of Show: Integrated Advertising Campaign — AAF ADDY Awards
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Best Overall Marketing Campaign Over $2MM — Poppy Awards 2016
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Magazine Advertising — San Diego ADDY (Bronze)
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Branded Content & Entertainment for Online Film, Video & Sound — San Diego ADDY (Silver)
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Not featured here, but I'd be happy to show it
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PHASE 2 - "Something to Smile About"
2019 - Current
At the end of 2018 we concepted, pitched, shot and edited a new TV spot for a new campaign launch come January. To build upon the brand's foundation of happiness, we brought in a new focus: the smile itself. This is our effort to allow San Diego to own a little piece of that international symbol of happiness by having it appear throughout the destination and its advertising.
Not my most complex headlines, but if this doesn't tie the smile to San Diego, I don't know what does.
It was all smiles in the newest TV campaign.
