NYC & COMPANY UNVEILS FALL TELEVISION SPOT, LIGHTS UP, TO BOOST VISITATION TO NYC

NYC & COMPANY UNVEILS FALL TELEVISION SPOT, “LIGHTS UP,” TO BOOST VISITATION TO THE FIVE BOROUGHS THIS AUTUMN

—“Lights Up,” the Second Iteration of the It’s Time for New York CityTM Television and Digital Spots, Highlights the Joyous Return of Broadway, Performing Arts and Culture Across New York City’s Five Boroughs—

New York City (October 4, 2021) – NYC & Company—the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the five boroughs of New York City—launched “Lights Up,” a new :30 television spot and :15 digital and social spot promoting New York City’s vibrancy during the 2021 fall season and driving urgency to visit the five boroughs now. “Lights Up”—the second iteration of television and digital spots for the It’s Time for New York City tourism recovery campaign, supported by an investment of $30 million by Mayor Bill de Blasio and secured through American Rescue Plan funds championed by US Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer—focuses on the much-anticipated return of Broadway, performing arts and culture. The spot will air across over 50 national cable networks; in the New York designated market area; and via digital and social media platforms throughout the US through October 31. By year’s end, NYC expects to recapture more than half of its 2019 record tourism levels by welcoming an estimated 36.1 million visitors. As NYC continues to recover, visitation has been steadily increasing, with hotel demand reaching 544,044 room nights sold for the week ending September 25, the highest level since the pandemic began.

“The fall season is a pivotal moment to highlight the much-anticipated return of New York City’s unrivaled Broadway theaters, performing arts venues and cultural organizations,” said NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon. “We’re utilizing real-time footage of NYC’s five-borough cultural reawakening to tug at the heartstrings of visitors near and far, and drive home the message that ‘It’s Time for New York City’ now.”

The :30 “Lights Up” television spot will air across over 50 national cable networks, and in the New York designated market area (DMA) on: CBS 2, NBC 4, FOX 5, ABC 7, WPIX 11, NY1 and News12. The :15 “Lights Up” spot will run across digital and social media platforms throughout the US, underscoring the excitement of the official return of Broadway, performing arts and culture across all five boroughs. The spot—directed by Queens native Allie Avital and produced by Brooklyn-based creative agency PUNCH Projects, with media planning and strategy by Universal McCann—will air through October 31, driving urgency to visit NYC this fall. The spot features talent including Tony Award–winning actors Ben Vereen and Brian Stokes Mitchell, Chromeo, Jocelyn Chia and the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and locations including Golden Theatre, Carolines on Broadway, Lotte New York Palace, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the Moving Image, New York Botanical Garden, St. George Theatre and Times Square.

“Lights Up” is the second iteration of three flights of television and digital spots running throughout the It’s Time for New York City campaign. The first flight began in July and was created to drive urgency throughout the summer months, while the current second flight will drive urgency to visit this fall, and the upcoming third flight will focus on driving visitation during the holiday season. The spots capture the vibrancy, diversity and only-in-NYC experiences to be had from season to season, with each iteration scored by an iconic music track that expresses the collective spirit of reawakening that’s happening right now in NYC. 

The newest iteration for fall, “Lights Up,” includes a score that is a modified version of the instantly recognizable “One,” composed by Marvin Hamlisch for A Chorus Line. The signature track has been updated by music and sound agency Q Department, with an exuberant tone to match the joy of the triumphant return of NYC’s Broadway theaters, performances, and arts and culture venues.

The first iteration of the It's Time for New York City television and digital spots that ran this summer was built on Chic's disco classic “Good Times,” with the joy and optimism of the song reflecting hopes for a renewed and reopened city. Together with music supervision from Studio A (NYC), led by Amaechi Uzoigwe, NYC & Company's creative team worked with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Nile Rodgers, the song's co-composer and founding member of Chic, to score the spots. With thanks to Warner Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Sony Music Publishing, and Nile Rodgers and the Estate of Bernie Edwards.

“We are thrilled to share these inspirational new spots featuring only-in-NYC cultural experiences across the five boroughs. We want to share the joy and excitement of our city’s vibrant arts and culture scene with viewers and remind the world why New York City is a must-visit-now fall destination,” said NYC & Company Chief Marketing Officer Nancy Mammana.

The It’s Time for New York City campaign initially on June 24, and the first iteration of the television and digital spots launched on July 8. As an ongoing part of the campaign and a permanent new feature, locals and visitors can browse five-borough itineraries from celebrities, influencers and local businesses—as well as build new unique itineraries—at nycgo.com/timefornyc.

Recent destination news is available via NYC & Company’s press releases, NYC & Company Highlights Major and Recent Upcoming Openings in New York City (September 2021 Update) and NYC & Company Invites New Yorkers and Visitors to Rediscover Times Square, the Crossroads of the World, as Broadway Reopens, and more at nycgo.com/press.

For information on visiting NYC, visit nycgo.com, and for the most up-to-date resources regarding travel, visit nycgo.com/coronavirus.

About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity, and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nycgo.com.

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