Visit Oakland, Oakland’s official destination marketing organization, announces its first advertising campaign for tourism to Oakland. The campaign highlights the city’s attributes and attractions through the eyes of local celebrities, giving visitors and potential travelers to the city a first-hand look at the many offerings of Oakland.

The intention of the campaign is to provide an overarching identity for outgoing tour and travel communications, which will be implemented across a variety of media including print, online, video, radio and direct marketing initiatives. The slogan, “Oakland. To Know it is to Love it,” captures the pride that locals have for the city and the importance of getting to know Oakland beyond its misconceptions. The campaign is focused on four initiatives: Arts & Culture, Music & Entertainment, Food & Nightlife, and Meetings & Groups, four significant audiences for travel to the city.

“This is an important time to advertise what Oakland has to offer, as the city was just named the top five destination to visit in the world in 2012 by The New York Times,” said Sima Patel, Chair of the Board for Visit Oakland. “It’s a great opportunity to talk about the positive changes and revitalization of the city, and there’s no better way to learn about this than from locals who know it best. “

Representatives for the campaign include Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora, Goapele, soul/R&B artist, Yoshie Akiba, founder of Yoshi’s Jazz Club, James Syhabout, chef/owner of Commis and Hawker Fare, Tanya Holland, chef/owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen and B-Side BBQ, Mark Lightfoot, artist and gallerist, and Jeremy Mayer, artist and sculptor. The campaign creative was developed by Riezebos Holzbaur Group, an award-winning Bay Area advertising and creative agency, and brought to life by these Oakland enthusiasts.

“I’ve grown up in Oakland and love that the community is so diverse,” said Goapele, soul/R&B artist and representative for the campaign. “I think Oakland is to San Francisco as Brooklyn is to Manhattan. From the Art & Soul festival to the international restaurants to the farmers’ markets, there’s something for everyone.”

The individuals included in the campaign are local contributors to the arts, entertainment, and food scene and are prominently featured throughout the ad campaign. The microsite, oaklandloveit.org, contains insider guides to the city’s diverse neighborhoods as well as discounted hotel and meeting promotions. Visitors to the site can also utilize the social media aspects, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube feeds and shareable links. Followers are encouraged to participate in the campaign by using the hashtag #oaklandloveit on Twitter and Instagram. The campaign is a unique opportunity to rebrand the city as a premier travel destination and to increase positive awareness of Oakland.