The City of Chicago: The First Chicago Tour in NYC

Chicago mayor Lori E. Lightfoot just announced the launch of the 'Chicago Not in Chicago' campaign to show how Chicago has inspired so many other iconic cities around the world. This will be the first 'local campaign' from a major metropolitan world-class city. 'Chicago Not in Chicago' is the latest of a series of activations and programming organized through 'Chicago. City of Stories.', Chicago's Masterbrand.
Agency: Energy BBDO, Chicago

The Masterbrand aims to change the brand perception of Chicago, bolster resident pride, and attract new residents, businesses, and tourists. The Recovery Task Force, with its published report in Fall of 2020, identified the launch of a city Masterbrand as a critical ingredient to help the City’s equitable recovery across all 77 neighborhoods. The 'Chicago Not in Chicago' campaign includes national advertisements in newspapers and magazines, and a content video series illustrating Chicago’s influence in other major global cities – like London, Berlin, Tokyo or Sao Paolo. The first episode, which launched on Monday, today, features a guided tour on a double decker bus in Manhattan to showcase the influence Chicago had across many landmarks in New York City. The campaign’s premise is that every city has a Chicago story. From Blues, Gospel and House music, to skyscrapers, and so much more. This unique eye-catching campaign aims to inspire new ways we can all discover significant contributions we enjoy around the world that would not be possible without Chicago first, trailblazing and leading the way. Aside from the content captured around the guided tour in New York City, the campaign also offers a platform where people can go and discover different interesting facts about Chicago, see how it influenced other cities of the world or even book a trip to visit it. While the first episode was captured in New York City, a London tour is scheduled to happen later this year. 'Chicago Not in Chicago' was developed by Energy BBDO who worked with the City of Chicago to bring the idea to life. Energy BBDO is part of the Mayor’s By Chicago, For Chicago initiative – a commitment to dedicate a percentage of all hours worked towards non-profit, social and cultural organizations and City agencies.