STA Travel has joined forces with Brand USA, the official destination marketing organisation for the United States, for a socially led campaign giving Australian travellers a backseat view of road trips through California, the Deep South and New England.

The ‘State of Play USA’ campaign aims to inspire young spirits including students, job starters and young Aussie professionals to jump behind the steering wheel on the ultimate American road trip adventure to capture their own version of the ‘State of Play USA’.

An emphasis for the campaign will be promoting key destinations of California, New England and New Orleans and comes off the back of strong growth in the numbers of Australians travelling to America. STA travel reported a 16 per cent growth in the numbers of Australians travelling to America in 2014 compared to the previous year. While many Australians are familiar with parts of the USA, this campaign is designed to inspire travellers to explore the USA to, through and beyond the gateways.

At the heart of the campaign is a video series, which follows the summer adventures of well-known Aussie vlogger Louna Maroun, as well as Brit vloggers Steve Booker and Doug Armstrong, as they road trip through the Deep South, California and New England.

A dedicated State of Play USA hub powered by STA Travel will house an array of inspiring articles, video content and photography along with travel advice, booking platforms and competitions. The video series is being backed by a multi-platform digital marketing campaign designed by STA Travel, as well as a tailored consumer PR push led by Mulberry Marketing Communications.

“Many Australian travellers are attracted to the bright lights of New York and Los Angeles, but this campaign seeks to show there is so much more to America than these gateway cities if you jump in a car and hit the road. From gourmet food trucks in Oakland, to the burgeoning live music scene in New Orleans to the historical art scene in New England, the USA has something for every traveller’s tastes,” said Andrea Robinson, STA Travel’s product trading and marketing director.

“By sharing the ‘State of Play USA’ videos we want to expand Australian travellers understanding of what an American adventure could entail and how the usual tourist hot spots don’t even scratch the surface of this great country.”

“This campaign really is about the sights, sounds and tastes of modern America and inspiring people to embark on the road less travelled,” said Oliver Philpot, director Australia New Zealand for Brand USA.  “We are delighted to be working with STA Travel on this campaign to encourage more Australians to experience their own American adventure.”

The campaign will also be supported through specialist retail store branding and offers along with community activations such as the recent successful university interaction program which saw STA Travel bring food trucks, live music and graffiti artists to campuses across the country.