We the People — Washington DC Tourism Campaign
We the People Washington, DC Tourism Campaign
The storytelling engine behind Destination DC’s #Only1DC campaign… and the model other DMOs are now attempting to replicate.
Creative Director & Executive Producer: Andrene M. Taylor, Ph.D.
CLIENT: Destination DC
Industry: Tourism + Destination Marketing
Insight
Most destination marketing sells a place. The work that actually moves people sells a feeling: the sense that this city, this neighborhood, these people, are something worth experiencing. That feeling can only come from stories that are culturally true.
We the People was the storytelling engine behind Destination DC’s broader #Only1DC campaign, the community-embedded content that gave the city’s new identity something real to stand on.
Challenge
Destination DC needed to shift how diverse domestic and international audiences perceived Washington, DC as a travel destination, moving beyond monuments and politics to tell the authentic story of the city’s neighborhoods, cultures, and people. They also needed a sustainable content library that could serve campaigns for years to come.
Approach
Zuri led creative and production strategy using our PACE Methodology, embedding in DC neighborhoods before a single frame was shot. We conducted cultural research across all 8 wards, documenting 60 neighborhoods and more than 50 festivals and community events. Rather than produce a single brand film, we built a content ecosystem:
culturally specific documentary films, photography, and social assets that spoke to distinct audience segments while carrying a unified narrative thread.
All content was co-created with the communities it represented and delivered rights-cleared for unlimited marketing use.
IMPACT
$2.09 ROI
for every dollar spent, validated by Future Partners (independent research)
visitors
the Washington DC market We the People was built to serve, generating $11.4B in visitor spending
PREMIUM
Video and photography assets delivered
production team
and talent sourced locally from DC team and talent sourced locally from DC
distinct locations
filmed across the District
Native washingtonians
featured on camera
- 25 DC neighborhoods represented on camera
- 100% of stories drawn from lived experience, no scripted personas
Gold Award Winner
Campaign Excellence
Winner
Television & Video Production
Winner
Creative Communications
Zuri also served as cultural consultants and narrative architects throughout the campaign — educating the Destination DC team on intersectional storytelling, identity, and representation. The methodology behind this work is proprietary and transferable. It is called PACE™
What you created for us is invaluable.
– Alex Gnafakis, Destination DC
These are great stories and you all captured the city and people in authentic ways.
– Andrew O’Connor, Director of Content Marketing, Destination DC
