Discover What Makes a City Truly Fascinating in Global Campaign for InterContinental

Agency DeVries Global has launched its new global campaign for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts titled 'InterContinental ICons', offering travellers a fresh look at some of the world’s most exhilarating cities and inviting the public to take part in a global conversation on what makes them truly iconic.

The brand’s independent study, carried out in Paris, London, New York, Shanghai, Dubai, Sydney and Mexico City, revealed travellers often feel they only scratch the surface of a city. More than three-quarters (77%) say they feel obliged to see the most popular tourist sites, despite 75% expressing a desire to see more of what the city has to offer and to explore like a well-informed local.

Additional analysis of Instagram posts revealed that the Eiffel Tower in  Paris is the most posted tourist site, representing 10% of all posts worldwide. Buckingham Palace is the most-tagged site in London (21%) and Central Park is the most-tagged in New York City (20%), highlighting that tourists are often focused on visiting the same 'must-see' sites.

These findings were confirmed by locals, with more than half (59%) feeling that tourists miss out on the best their city has to offer.

InterContinental’s new campaign seeks to inspire by rediscovering what makes each city truly fascinating. An online vote asks the public to select the most symbolic sights, sounds, tastes, smells and feelings in these cities, that will connect travellers more deeply when they visit.

The campaign features a hero film directed by Daniel Smith through production company My Perfect Cousin. Shot across London, New York and Dubai, the spot takes viewers on a journey of the sights, sounds and people of these bustling metropolises.

"The brief was to create a film that promoted this insight using three major cities as our focus: London, New York and Dubai," Daniel says. "We wanted the film to be felt from the perspective of the unassuming visitor, who is discovering a city’s subtle intricacies for the first time. The storyboard was informed by the results from the survey, allowing us to capture moments that true locals describe as ‘iconic’ of their city."

He continues: "Stylistically we went for a ‘photo essay’ approach. Travel is often represented visually through filtered lenses, unrealistic aerial views and forced perspectives that simply are not authentic to the actual experience. We wanted this film to really focus on the finer details: senses, sounds, tastes and iconic views seen from unique perspectives."

Ginger Taggart, vice president, global marketing, IHG Luxury Portfolio, comments: “As a pioneer in luxury travel, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has always been the gateway to fascinating places and local cultural wisdom, so we understand that travellers are craving a deeper connection to the places they visit. With our latest campaign, InterContinental ICons, we’ve set out to discover and celebrate authentic places and moments that might be overlooked by visitors but are truly part of what makes a city special.  Whether it’s the feel of salt air while riding New York’s Hudson River ferry, the melodious bells of the clock tower on the Bund in Shanghai, or the feel of cobblestones underfoot on old Parisian streets, these ICons might include under-the-radar experiences, or well-known tourist hotspots viewed in new and unexpected ways. We want to reignite a sense of fascination for these much-visited cities and encourage discussion around what makes them truly iconic.”