One ad shows videos of the Mother Road, with shots of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton; the National Route 66 Museum Complex in Elk City; Lake Overholser Bridge in Oklahoma City; the Oklahoma State Capitol; Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa; Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City; Coleman Theatre in Miami; the Blue Whale in Catoosa; The Butcher BBQ Stand in Wellston; and Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on 66 in Tulsa. Provided
The Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department recently secured billboard space in Times Square in New York City Visitors near Father Duffy Square, a heavily trafficked pedestrian plaza, will be able to look up and across toward advertisements showcasing Oklahoma as a superb travel destination.
The digital billboards began running in mid-May 2022. Three 15-second video ads will run each hour.
The department’s ads will appear on the billboards through May 2023. There were 26,280 spots obtained for the year, which breaks down to $9.13 per 15-second spot on a screen that annually serves over 50 million people from all over the world. This spring, in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, it cost OTRD between $115 and $360 to run a single 30-second spot one time on one cable channel.
The current ads showcase themes of Western heritage, outdoor adventure and Route 66, but the department plans to rotate in different themed spots throughout the year. Future themes will include Native American culture, museums and family adventure.
The billboards are displayed on four LED screens at the Express flagship store at 1552 Broadway that reach up to 18 stories tall. As the billboards run, one of the screens provides a QR code that viewers can scan to visit themed TravelOK.com pages.
“Having the opportunity to showcase the people and places of Oklahoma, from our incredible cultural diversity and outdoor terrain to our rich heritage and history and 400+ miles of Route 66, on the world’s most visible stage is an unparalleled gift,” said Jennifer Mullins, Director of Travel Promotions at OTRD.
One ad has shots of Oklahoma’s Western heritage, including Gloss Mountain State Park; the Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve in Bartlesville; the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City; the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Pawhuska; Old West Buffalo Company in Pawhuska; Black Mesa State Park & Nature Preserve near Kenton; and the Boley Rodeo & Festival.
One of the world’s most visited tourism attractions, Times Square is at the heart of midtown and has some of the heaviest foot traffic in all of New York City.
According to data provided by the Times Square Alliance, over 63 million pedestrians went to Times Square in 2021. However, pedestrian counts are showing a strong recovery to pre-pandemic levels. January through March 2022 saw over 27 million pedestrian visitors.