To Woo Amazon, Philly Embarks on Ad Campaign

If you live in Seattle, you’ll be seeing a whole lot of Philadelphia in the coming weeks. In an attempt to stand out from the dozens of other cities vying to become the site of online giant Amazon’s second headquarters, dubbed HQ2, Philadelphia has rolled out an eye-catching, very expensive ad campaign that’s designed to give the home of Amazon a good long look at all the benefits they’d experience by moving business into the City of Brotherly Love.

Philadelphia has splashed out on an ad campaign designed to make Seattle, home of Amazon, fall in love with the city’s diverse vibrancy. Credit: visitphilly.com

Last week, Visit Philadelphia (the city’s tourism bureau) inundated South Lake Union, Seattle (the home of Amazon’s flagship headquarters) with ads. According to Philadelphia Magazine, “The ads, which showcase Philly’s art, food, history, and overall quality of life, are in featured on 48 different transit placements, like on the city’s trolleys and buses.” The ad campaign, which will run through Thanksgiving weekend, cost a pretty penny – $85,000.

The ads are a play on Philadelphia’s nickname of “The City of Brotherly Love,” showcasing different facets of the vibrant city. There’s “The City of Green Love” accompanied by a lush photograph of the Schuylkill River Trail. There’s a photo of the rainbow-striped crosswalks in the Gayborhood, emblazoned with “The City of Colorful Love.” Two sisters enjoying a picnic lunch as the breeze artfully rustles their hair: “The City of Sisterly Love.” And a family taking a selfie in front of the Liberty Bell: “The City of Historic Love.”