• by Larissa Faw , October 21, 2016

Visit Santa Barbara is repositioning its travel advertising to shift perceptions of Santa Barbara as not just an average beach town, but an active destination that offers a diversity of experiences.

Developed with agency Cutwater, the "Miss Nothing" campaign suggests revival and a world of new and attainable luxury.  

"As more consumers are spending their extra income on travel and experiences rather than products, the travel and tourism category is increasingly becoming a crowded and competitive space," says Chuck McBride, CCO, Cutwater. "Recognizing that the brand needed to disrupt conventions and set new standards for authentic travel experiences in Santa Barbara, [we created] a brand platform that elicits the emotional feeling of experiencing Santa Barbara while also building on the established equity of The American Riviera brand." 

The black and white creative uses modern art direction to feature activities like yoga, sailing, cuisines and the music scene to highlight Santa Barbara's variety of adventures. "Visitors literally and figuratively 'Miss Nothing' when in Santa Barbara." 

The campaign includes 15- and 30-second spots, print and digital executions. The media mix will primarily target Northern California markets and include additional buys in non-stop fly markets such as Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, Denver and Dallas. The goal is to generate mid-week hotel bookings and overnight visitation during the off season.  

Cutwater won the VSB account earlier this year.