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Philly launches ad campaign in Seattle to continue Amazon HQ2 bid

48 buses in Seattle are covered in ads about Philly

By Melissa Romero
Philly just launched a bus ad campaign in Seattle as part of its bid for Amazon’s HQ2.
Courtesy of Intersection

The deadline for Amazon’s second headquarters bid has long passed, but that doesn’t mean Philly has stopped trying. Only this time, the city has taken its hype campaign to the west coast.

From now until November 28, dozens of buses—48 in total—in Seattle will be plastered in advertisements showing off Philly’s best places, all signed with the trademark Visit Philly XoXo logo.

The campaign was spearheaded by Visit Philly along with the City of Philadelphia and the Amazon HQ2 Coalition. All of the ads feature an image coupled with a play on the “City of Brotherly Love.” A photo of people doing yoga on Race Street Pier, for example, reads “City of Zen Love.”

They all aim to highlight the quality of life in Philly, said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia in a statement. City spokeswoman Lauren Hitt told the Inquirer that the campaign is meant to just keep Philly on Seattle and Amazon’s mind as they consider the 100-plus bids.

Courtesy of Visit Philadelphia

To be honest, it’s a bit more coy of a campaign than other cities’ and towns’ woo tactics. (See this roundup of the good, the bad, and the totally embarrassing Amazon bids.)

If you’re in Seattle, you’re most likely to spot the buses in neighborhoods near Amazon’s current headquarters, including South Lake Union and Denny Triangle.