California rebrands as ‘Ultimate Playground’ for tourists

Visit California, the state’s tourism agency, has ditched its “Dream Big” marketing slogan in favor of becoming the “Ultimate Playground” for travelers.

“California’s playful lifestyle, paired with our abundance of experiences, create something no other destination can claim – California is the Ultimate Playground,” said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California. “The power of play is scientifically proven, and majorities of every generation aren’t satisfied with the amount of time they spend playing. It’s time for that to change.”

More than 85% of consumers across six global markets said it is important to incorporate play into their lives, and 43% said that vacation “is the only time I have to really let go and play,” according to Visit California’s consumer research.

“Travel is a time and place that gives us permission to embrace play, and California offers every visitor an opportunity to play in a way that speaks to them,” Beteta continued. 

A new National Institute for Play (NIFP) study released last week once again found that play can have a positive impact on our physical, mental and social well-being

“When we play, our brains ‘light up’ and the neural pathways formed from repeated playful times (whether early or late in life) shape how alive we feel, how well we learn, how cleverly we create/innovate, and how we relate from that point forward,” the study says.

The NIFP study also draws a straight line from travel to play.

“The intention of travel is routinely framed as ‘leisure’ and ‘recreation’ – experiences that happen to the traveler,” co-author Scott G. Eberle writes in the study afterword. “But travelers may seek the occasion for a deeper, rounder, more active, more personal and tailored reward, play. Travel gives travelers permission to play their own way. The lucky ones will find that play itself is the destination.”

Visit California’s new global brand campaign based on the Ultimate Playground platform includes “Let’s Play,” a 30-second television spot, capturing the simple joys of playing in California. The three-month, $32.8 million integrated campaign will air across the United States, Canada, Mexico, U.K., Australia and China.

Additionally, a new section on VisitCalifornia.com features a quiz for travelers to identify their “play style” and connects visitors to regions of California and activities that align with each style.

Visit California also announced that travel spending in the state has fully recovered from the pandemic. According to economic impact research from the organization, California’s tourism economy generated $150.4 billion in travel spending last year, surpassing the record $144.9 billion spent in 2019 and overcoming the impacts of the pandemic.