Greater Fort Lauderdale next week embarks on a new marketing campaign which it is touting as a world’s first.
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau will become the first destination to use transgender models in mainstream advertising.
The campaign also features straight, gay and lesbian models focused on a millennial and younger audience.
"Using Trans models in our mainstream campaign says who we are as a destination; cosmopolitan, edgy, diverse, inclusive, authentic and accepting," said Richard Gray, managing director LGBTQ market, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
"We are the only destination in the world that is using Trans people in mainstream marketing initiatives. That is a huge statement in itself highlighting this destination’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality.
Ads will run in print, digital, television, radio and social media in South Florida, New York, Boston and Chicago markets.
The campaign premiered over new year in New York City with a Times Square billboard video featuring Isabella Santiago, Venezuelan model and 2014 Miss World Transgender.
"I’m proud that we continue to be a leader in marketing innovation. We’ve established a popular and highly recognized destination brand presence that reflects the authentic experiences that people today, regardless of age, gender, religion or race, seek when they travel," said Stacy Ritter, CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
