L.A. is ‘now playing’ in tourism ads styled like old Hollywood title sequences

The spirit of Saul Bass is alive and well in a new tourism campaign from Discover LA that channels the famed graphic designer’s visual style—which he employed in opening credits and posters for Hollywood classics such as “Anatomy of a Murder,” “Vertigo” and “The Shining.” The campaign of five spots comes from the agency Imaginary Forces, which is itself a master of the opening title sequence—its Emmy-winning creations include the title sequences for “Mad Men” and “Stranger Things.” Below is the first spot, focused on L.A. attractions. The music is the 2008 track “WannaBe in LA” by Eagles of Death Metal. “L.A. is our home base at Imaginary Forces. Naturally, we all love the city and wanted to see it done justice with what we created,” said agency creative director Alan Williams, who led the campaign. “We wanted to evoke that Old Hollywood feeling with some modern imagery, and borrowing from Saul Bass’s visual vocabulary helped cue the nostalgic elements we hoped to evoke with this campaign.” Other spots focus on specific areas such as arts and culture and shopping: Williams said the creative approach “felt both ergonomic and artistic. Bass’s work is synonymous with the cinematic language made in Hollywood during the golden age of film with title sequences that include ‘Anatomy of a Murder,’ ‘Psycho,’ ‘Vertigo’ and ‘West Side Story.’ it speaks to the setting of Los Angeles just as much as our hiking trails, street food, the Hollywood Bowl, and so much more that you can see with this campaign.” Here are the final two spots, focused on food and sports: The campaign launched with a hologram and billboard takeover at King’s Cross Station in London. The media mix includes cable, connected TV, online video, out-of-home billboards, search, social and podcasts. It’s running in major markets throughout the U.S., as well as Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Ireland, Mexico and Canada.

L.A. is ‘now playing’ in tourism ads styled like old Hollywood title sequences

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