Known primarily for its rain, coffee, and the Space Needle, Seattle was pigeonholed as a regional destination ideal for short, perhaps uninspiring, visits. This perception severely limited its appeal to potential tourists, undermining its rich cultural tapestry and vibrant, diverse community. We needed to reframe this stereotypical 'weekend getaway' into a compelling, global destination with soul, not just sights.
For our intellectually-stimulated Advenculturist target, that meant giving them new ways to engage with Seattle and new stories to share. Today, these travelers are more eager to explore and understand their past and the history of the world around them. In fact, “dark tourism” has become a $30 billion market, as travelers – particularly our targeted ones – want to gain more insight into the social, political, and cultural complexities that led to cultural events and even tragedies.
As a city that has constantly learned and evolved from what has come before, we saw the opportunity to lean in and honor the communities that have shaped Seattle – giving people new ways to think about the city and new reasons to consider visiting in person.
While some DMOs might shy away from these stories, Seattle is a city that has never stood still—and it continues to learn and evolve from what has come before.
As such, Unsettled Territory explored Seattle through the lens of Indigenous and immigrant resilience and resistance, immersing viewers in significant cultural and historical events that have shaped the city, its people, and its spirit today - from the Fight at Fort Lawton to the internment of Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Partnering with The Atlantic, an esteemed publisher who has thoughtfully covered cultural issues and was read often by our audience, these stories inspired reflection and curiosity –– sparking viewers’ interest in Seattle as a destination that carried respect for the cultures and land which shapes the city.
Travel inspires joy as well as understanding—especially in times of cultural unrest. This effort showed a desire to understand history and explore it on their own.
Engagement. This campaign drove a 28% increase in Ad Recall and was viewed over 3.5 million times. People have spent 103,000 hours with the content - that’s over 4200 days worth of watch time for those keeping track at home.
Interest. Drove a 12% lift in brand familiarity, over 86% of viewers said this content offered new reasons to visit Seattle and we created a 5% lift of people who said Seattle has a rich cultural history.
Business Impact. Seattle saw record visitation in 2024.
