Visit California Premieres "Up Around the Bend" Road Trips Campaign During Academy Awards

Visit California unveiled its latest road trips campaign, “Playful Journeys”, with a global debut during the Academy Awards on March 2. This year’s Oscars, the most watched in five years, aired on ABC and streamed live on Hulu. Visit California aired key spots during the Oscars Live and Encore broadcast on KABC, delivering 1.81 million impressions. Visit California also gained visibility during the On the Red Carpet show generating nearly 600K impressions. With the Oscars broadcasting in more than 200 countries and territories, provided the perfect state to showcase California’s boundless adventure to a global audience. This high-energy campaign serves as the sequel to the successful “Born to Be Wild” initiative, bringing the adventure and emotion of a California road trip to audiences worldwide.

Backed by a $12.6 million global paid media investment, the campaign’s marquee commercial features vibrant imagery set to “Up Around the Bend”, the iconic road trip anthem by California-based Creedence Clearwater Revival. The spot showcases the state’s unparalleled diversity, highlighting both its famous landmarks and the unexpected discoveries awaiting travelers around every turn in The Ultimate Road Trip Destination. The creative was also localized in two global markets: China and Mexico.

The launch was part of a coordinated statewide road trips platform refresh, integrating paid, owned, earned, international and travel trade strategies. In addition to the campaign’s broadcast debut, Visit California partnered with travel influencers to amplify eye-catching road trip content across digital channels.

To further inspire travelers and drive engagement, Visit California introduced an AI-powered itinerary planner as part of its newly redesigned road trips website. The Visit California-Active Inspiration (VCA-AI) Engine offers personalized trip suggestions from more than 70 itineraries curated by California travel experts, making it easier than ever for visitors to plan their next California adventure.

With $12.6 million dedicated to the global campaign rollout and an expected reach of more than 964 million global impressions, “Playful Journeys” is set to inspire road-trippers worldwide to discover California’s limitless possibilities.