MC Hammer Brings "Hammer Time" to Visit Oakland Campaign

Longtime Oakland resident and artist to help promote tourism to Oakland through targeted campaign

 

Visit Oakland, Oakland's official destination marketing organization, is excited to announce MC Hammer as its next advertising campaign representative. As an insider celebrity for the campaign, Hammer has contributed his personal recommendations on things to see and do in Oakland, such as seeing a show at a historic Art Deco theater or visiting the waterfront at Jack London Square.

  

The campaign slogan "Oakland. To know it is to love it" captures the pride that locals have for the city and the importance of getting to know Oakland beyond its misconceptions. The local representatives, such as Hammer, who were chosen for the campaign offer a unique insider's perspective into Oakland, which enhances the visitor's experience. Having spent 50 years in Oakland, Hammer is knowledgeable about the history of the city, its cultural diversity and growth as a destination. From the historic favorites to the edgy newcomers, Hammer has experienced Oakland's transition as a community.

"My admiration, love and understanding of what the culture of Oakland is, is from experience," said MC Hammer. "For everything that you could ever say negatively about Oakland, I can give ten positives."

Aside from his history as a pop rap artist, Hammer is also an entrepreneur, social media guru, spokesperson and actor. Much of Visit Oakland's campaign is focused on the thriving arts, culinary offerings, music, and entertainment in Oakland, making Hammer an ideal representative for the campaign, which has been implemented across print, online, video, radio and direct marketing initiative platforms. Hammer's itinerary and video interview can be found at oaklandloveit.org/mc-hammer.

 

Other individuals included in the campaign are local contributors to the arts, entertainment, and food scene, and are prominently featured throughout the ad campaign. The site contains insider guides to the city's diverse neighborhoods as well as discounted hotel rooms and meeting group promotions. Visitors to the site can also utilize the social media aspects, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube feeds and shareable links. Followers are encouraged to participate in the campaign by using the hashtag #oaklandloveit on Twitter and Instagram.