Director X and Mustafa Share Their Vision of Toronto
“You Gotta See What We See”, the new campaign for Destination Toronto created by Bensimon Byrne, shares a new perspective on Toronto
Destination Toronto has launched its newest collaboration in the You Gotta See What We See series. The series engages passionate Toronto creators in sharing their takes on the city, through their unique creative lens.
Toronto-born Julien Christian Lutz, an iconic music video director best known as Director X who has worked with Drake, Rihanna, Rosalia, and Kendrick Lamar, conceptualized and directed the video. Mustafa, a Juno Award-winning singer and songwriter from Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood, lent his distinctive voice and penned the prose in Director X’ split-screen POV of the city.
“To really get Toronto, you need to see it through the eyes of the people who make this city what it is,” said Paula Port, Vice President of Global Marketing at Destination Toronto. “Toronto is a reflection of its people. Their diverse perspectives and identities infuse the city’s culture, festivals, and food. It’s what makes Toronto unique and special and worthy of a visit. We’re excited to collaborate with our local creative community in sharing these stories with potential visitors through the You Gotta See What We See series.”
“The magic of our city is how it brings different people and perspectives together to remix and create something entirely new,” adds Lorne Covant, Creative Director at Bensimon Byrne. “To embody that same spirit with this campaign we handed over the reins to our creators. The result is so much more than a tourism campaign, it is a love letter of Director X and Mustafa’s perspective on Toronto. It’s something entirely new.”
This new campaign builds upon the docu-style series developed in 2022, featuring Simu Liu, Santee Siouxx, Sonia Mangat, Nick Liu and Mariah Amber. Director X’ and Mustafa’s video perspective is in-market now with additional collaborations launching later this summer and into the fall. The media plan is focused in New York City, San Francisco/San Jose, Chicago, and Washington DC. Viewers are directed to DestinationToronto.com to find other Toronto insiders and discover their Toronto stories.
In 2022, the You Gotta See What We See campaign resulted in 39 million video views and 1.2 million website visits. Before the pandemic in 2019, almost 2 million American travellers visited the city bringing $1.36 billion in spending to the visitor economy.
About Destination Toronto
Toronto’s visitor economy is a vital economic engine for the city, generating more than $10 billion in economic activity and supporting 70,000 jobs in 2019. Destination Toronto’s mandate is to reflect the breadth and diversity of Toronto’s people, places and culture to inspire residents and visitors to meet, visit and explore our city. Operating in partnership with the City of Toronto, the Greater Toronto Hotel Association and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Destination Toronto markets and promotes the city to locals and visitors, attracts and supports major meetings and events, and supports local businesses to maximize the opportunities of visitor spending. For more information, please visit DestinationToronto.com.
Credits:
Client: Destination Toronto
VP, Global Marketing: Paula Port
Associate Director of Global Marketing and Partnerships: Stanton Singh
Senior Manager, Global Marketing: Shannon Szucs
Marketing Specialist: Ivie Ndep
Director, Content and Communications: Jeremy Maunder
Creative Agency: Bensimon Byrne
CCO: David Rosenberg
Creative Director: Lorne Covant
Associate Creative Director: Ana Segurajauregui Sanchez
Art Director: Nina Hang
Copywriter: Megan Radisa, Jessica Fraioli
VP, Client Services: Laura Robinson
Group Account Director, Chris Roop
PMO Director: Jordan Lane
Business Lead: Kylee Berencsi
Project Manager: Jennifer Guth, Melissa Carmichael
Producer: Katie Link
Production Company: Fela TV
Directed by Director X
Written & Performed by Mustafa
2nd Unit Director: Kit Weyman
Executive Producers: Taj Critchlow, Fuliane Petikyan
Editorial: Nimiopere
Editor: Nick YumulColorist: Dave Hussey
VFX: Sergii Mashevskyi
Online Artist: Lauren Rempel
Sound Design & Original Music: Oso Audio
Media Agency: Wavemaker
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