Visit Philadelphia Launches Hyperlocal Civic Pride Advertising Campaign Across the City

PHILADELPHIA, August 26, 2025 – Visit Philadelphia launched a sweeping new phase of its ongoing civic pride campaign on Monday, featuring a hyperlocal neighborhood-focused effort that brings advertising to more than 30 neighborhood bus shelters across 25+ zip codes throughout the city.

This ad buy represents one of the most geographically diverse neighborhood campaigns in the tourism organization’s history, placing customized messages in neighborhoods from the Stadium District and Grays Ferry to Olney and Rhawnhurst and beyond. These hyperlocal ads spotlight beloved community leaders, cultural touchpoints, restaurants and local businesses. They aim to invite residents to celebrate what makes the places they call home so special. 

Before launching these new neighborhood ads, Visit Philadelphia conducted six focus groups across different neighborhoods to shape the campaign’s approach. The research revealed that authentic civic pride comes from seeing daily life reflected in city messaging.

”With millions expected to visit for America’s 250th anniversary, we’re highlighting all the things Philadelphians say make them proud of their neighborhood and city,” said Angela Val, president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia. “This campaign spotlights the people, places and moments that exist nowhere else. These are the things that make Philadelphia not just a travel destination, but a home worth celebrating.”

The widespread, locally tailored messages reflect the energy, identity and culture of Philadelphia’s diverse communities. For example, a bus shelter ad in Somerton reads, “Grandma’s Pie at Station Pizza, borscht like Babushka’s at Uzbekistan Restaurant — generations of flavor live right here” while another in Southwest Philly shouts out a community hero: “There’s only one Block Captain of the Year in Philly, and she happens to be your neighbor. Congrats, Dianna Coleman!”

A photo gallery featuring the new ads is available here. 

Each ad is unified by a sign-off in the bottom right corner that plays off the saying “It’s a Philly Thing!”: “It’s a Port Richmond Thing!” “It’s a Chinatown Thing!” “It’s a Manayunk Thing!” and beyond. This connects the ads with Visit Philadelphia’s accompanying social media series entitled “It’s a Philly Thing!” This approach acknowledges that while Philadelphia has a strong citywide identity, its true character emerges from the distinct personalities of its neighborhoods.

The Meta and YouTube ads, which started rolling out in May, similarly feature a neighborhood’s community leaders, restaurants, attractions and more. A social media targeting effort delivers the videos to people who frequent the area. Visit Philadelphia has completed videos for neighborhoods including Old City, Northern Liberties, Fairmount and Germantown, and will next introduce ads for areas including Roxborough, Mount Airy and East Falls. 

”Philadelphians told us that authentic civic pride comes from seeing their daily lives reflected back to them — not from polished marketing messages. They wanted to see the breakfast spot where everybody knows your order, the community garden their neighbor started, the local heroes who never make headlines,” said Neil Frauenglass, chief marketing officer at Visit Philadelphia. “Our research made clear that representation equals belonging. When people see their neighborhood’s real stories celebrated, they feel included. When those stories are absent, they feel forgotten. This campaign puts those authentic, hyperlocal stories front and center.”

Additional components of this newly launched civic pride campaign phase include:

• Web: Refreshed and newly launched neighborhood web pages on visitphilly.com, designed as landing pages for locals and visitors seeking to explore Philadelphia’s diverse neighborhoods. So far, 22 neighborhood pages have been updated, including Spruce Hill and Cedar Park; Brewerytown and Africatown.

• Radio: PSA-style radio spots featuring the familiar voices of Philly sports announcers, including Mike Quick from the Philadelphia Eagles and Kate Scott from the Philadelphia 76ers, which have been airing throughout the region on WMMR, WXTU, WURD and iHeart Radio in collaboration with Beasley Media Group.

• Print: Neighborhood-specific advertising will appear in community publications, like Korean Philadelphia Times and West Philadelphia Spirit, beginning in September and running through mid-2026.

• Empty Storefronts: As part of its ongoing Empty Storefronts initiative, Visit Philadelphia is wrapping a commercial space at 4th and Race streets in designed window coverings. This initiative, which Visit Philadelphia is working to expand to additional neighborhoods, aims to brighten the vacant spaces on commercial corridors to enhance the neighborhood feel for residents, visitors and developers. 

Visit Philadelphia’s Civic Pride initiative was launched in 2024 to help unlock the latent pride that exists in many residents. Sparked by the undeniable energy that permeates our streets after a championship win, the tourism office embarked on a three-year project to dig into what creates that energy among residents. Visit Philadelphia aims to transform everyday residents into passionate ambassadors for their communities, creating the same electric energy that fills the streets after a championship win, but sustaining it year-round. 

For the three years spanning 2024 to 2026, Visit Philadelphia has committed $3 million to dedicated civic pride efforts. This includes funding from the City of Philadelphia, Independence Blue Cross, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority and the hotel community. 

Previously introduced components of the campaign include the iconic I-76 billboard just off the Vine Street Expressway, which displays local good news and positive happenings throughout the region; Visit Philadelphia’s “Bird Call” marketing activation during the Eagles’ playoff run earlier this year; and the organization’s feel-good newsletter “On a Positive Note,” which delivers uplifting Philadelphia news stories directly to residents’ inboxes. The campaign also includes Philly LOVE Stories, a video series highlighting real stories of real love in the City of Brotherly Love, and Our Favorite Philly Stories, a weekly roundup of uplifting, only-in-Philly news that exemplifies just what makes Philly, Philly. 

About Visit Philadelphia:

VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy. On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website, visitphilly.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages.

Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the site an effective trip-planning tool. Visitors can also find loads of inspiration on Visit Philly’s social media channels.

Note to Editors: For high-resolution photos and high-definition B-roll of Greater Philadelphia, visit the Photos & Video section of visitphilly.com/media-center. 

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