The Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau (AOCVCB) in Southern California unveiled its new name, Visit Anaheim, on June 24. After more than 20 years as AOCVCB, the destination marketing organization (DMO) streamlined its name and introduced a fresh and contemporary new brand that invoked the past, present and future of the destination while encouraging travelers to do what the name suggests.
“A year’s worth of brand exploration, consumer, meetings and travel trade research told us clearly that we needed a name and brand that is reflective of our organization’s mission,” said Jay Burress, president and CEO, Visit Anaheim. “Visit Anaheim is a name that travel enthusiasts and conventioneers can easily find and understand. It evokes a sense of discovery and clearly communicates that we have an incredible, awe-inspiring destination that people should come see for themselves.”
The second largest city in Orange County, Anaheim has undergone a massive revitalization and beautification effort.
“Our new look is bold, timeless and delights in the uniqueness of Anaheim. It also perfectly encapsulates the next stage we are entering into as an organization. We are here to help inspire the imagination of every visitor that comes to our destination – whether they’re a sports fan, adrenaline junkie, beach lover, theme park enthusiast or foodie – and change the way they see the world,” added Burress.
Rebranding Efforts and New Name
To land on its new name and brand essence, the DMO conducted multiple focus groups and key stakeholder interviews in and around Anaheim, Orange County, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Jose to better understand how travelers perceived the destination, which includes Anaheim, Garden Grove and the greater Orange County. The findings were clear that the DMO’s broad consumer and business travel audiences were not aware of what the destination offers and what it represents. Rebranding to Visit Anaheim was a critical first step in better communicating the DMO’s distinct personality, while remaining committed to serving its Southern California partners and promoting tourism for the greater county as it has since its founding in 1961.
A Modern, Fresh New Logo
Designed by Kansas City-based MMGY Global, a travel marketing agency, the Visit Anaheim logo has multiple design elements that speak directly to Anaheim and Orange County’s past, present and future – the big “A” is reminiscent of a number of big A logos around the destination; the looped “h” is similar to an Anaheim logo created by a former Disney creative; the dot over the “i” is Disney’s dot; and the palm tree icon speaks to the City of Anaheim’s robust revitalization. The logo’s colors, blue and marigold, are warm and inviting, a tribute to Southern California’s endless ocean views, clear blue skies and warm sunny days.
“Through our extensive consumer research for Anaheim, it became clear that The Power of Awe would be a credible, relevant and unique brand essence for the destination,” said Chris Davidson, evp/global strategy for the destination’s branding agency, MMGY Global. “Anaheim’s personality is truly distinct from other destinations in Southern California, and we set out to capture the emotional core of what makes this place so special. In so doing, the destination now has an effective filter to guide local leaders in evaluating everything from advertising campaigns to the language it uses in its press materials to how it attracts meetings and conventioneers to the area.”
New York and Anaheim Brand Launch Events
To celebrate the brand’s new look and feel, Visit Anaheim brought the best of Anaheim and Orange County to New York City’s Flatiron district on June 24. Partnering with renowned 3D pavement artist Joe Hill, three large, interactive 3D illustrations will be installed in front of the Flatiron Building (175 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010), where passersby’s will be encouraged to jump into the artwork, capture and share their favorite vacation snapshot.
In less than 24 hours, the installations will then be moved to the Center Street Promenade in downtown Anaheim on June 25 as part of a community-wide celebration and event. Local area residents, retailers/business owners, community members and tourism ambassadors will attend the event to hear Visit Anaheim’s Jay Burress, president & CEO, introduce the new brand and provide personal commentary on the future path of the great Southern California DMO.
As part of the launch celebrations, the DMO will be giving away amazing prizes via Instagram to people eager to Visit Anaheim (#VisitAnaheim). To view sweepstakes rules, visit VisitAnaheim.org/Rules.
