See It: NYC Launches National Ad Campaign To Spark Tourism 'FOMO'

NEW YORK CITY — America, it's time to come back to New York City.

That's the message a new 30-second television spot soon will tell people across the country.

The ad is part of a $30 million campaign designed to restart tourism to the city, which flagged during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the ad this week during a news conference with Fred Dixon, head of NYC & Company. Both middle-aged men repeatedly threw out the youthful term "FOMO," as in "fear of missing out."

"We want people to be FOMO free, and the best way to do that is just to come right here and experience it," de Blasio said.

We have a message for the world: it’s time to come back to New York City!

Ya gotta be here.#SummerOfNYC pic.twitter.com/enlwWS5U72
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) July 8, 2021

The ad asks, "Where were you summer '21?" before launching into a star-laden, landmark-heavy montage displaying images of a vibrant city.

Dixon said the campaign is the city's largest-ever, with the television spot launching its second phase: "It's Time For New York City."

He said the spot will be the first of three this year, with each geared toward summer, fall and winter.

"The message is clear: make plans to visit because it's time for New York City," he said.

But the tourism push also coincides with a rise in Delta coronavirus cases in places where vaccinations are low, such as Missouri, as pointed out by WNBC reporter Andrew Siff during the mayor's briefing.

"What we're seeing in Missouri right now, it's very troubling, you're absolutely right," de Blasio said. "Clearly correlates to a gap in vaccination or an unwillingness on a large scale for folks to get vaccinated. That's not what we're seeing here. We're seeing more and more people stepping forward all the time, and I think you're going to see that grow as we get closer to September and people are preparing to come back to work, come back to school."

About 9.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccine have been distributed in New York City, with roughly 68 percent of its adult population receiving at least one dose, according to city health data.