Lower Manhattan Takes Off

Sponsored by the Downtown Alliance and Featuring Introduction by Mayor Bloomberg, Promotional Video Highlights Lower Manhattan as World-Class Destination

New York, NY (August 1, 2011) – Lower Manhattan is showcased this month in “Delta Destinations,” an exclusive in-flight video series promoting the top destinations around the world in five-minute video features.

The piece, introduced by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, features Lower Manhattan as a prime destination for visitors and a top location to live and do business. The feature takes passengers on a virtual tour of Lower Manhattan’s history, heritage and culture while promoting top area businesses and unparalleled neighborhood amenities.

“We are thrilled to share our growing, world-class community with people from around the globe” said Elizabeth H. Berger, President of the Alliance for Downtown New York. “Whether you are travelling for business or pleasure, Lower Manhattan has everything you are looking for in one square mile.”

“Lower Manhattan is a world-class destination, with stunning water vistas, monumental architecture, museums, parks, world-class shopping and dining – all set among the most famous historic attractions in America,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “With so much to see and do, it’s a great place to visit, and we’re grateful to Delta and the Downtown Alliance for helping to showcase it.”

Starting August 1^st, the segment will air on more than 17,000 Delta domestic and international flights arriving at New York metro area airports, reaching more than 2.6 million passengers. The spot also air this month and next in Virgin America’s RedHOT in-flight video program, reaching an additional 1 million passengers.

The promotional spot will air on Delta aircraft main screens and personal seatback screens. The episode will receive preferred placement of first segment in video programming line up and will be promoted in Delta’s Sky Magazine. The Delta fleet is equipped with Wi-Fi and passengers will be able to log on to www.downtownNY.com/delta using their laptops or smart phones, creating the opportunity for immediate trip planning and booking.

Renowned Graphic Designer, Andy Jacobson [http://andyjacobsonstudio.com], a Lower Manhattan resident, served as a pro bono Creative Consultant for the video.

“We wanted the spot to focus on the array of opportunities in Lower Manhattan, said Andy. “With its dramatic growth over the last decade Lower Manhattan, in addition to its reputation as the business capital of the world, has gained a reputation for its cultural offerings, as well as its vibrant 24/7 community.”

The Downtown Alliance reports that last year alone more than 9 million people visited Lower Manhattan, one million more than the previous year, and that millions more are expected to visit Lower Manhattan after the opening of the National September 11 Memorial in September this year.

Lower Manhattan also is home to more than 56,000 residents – more than double a decade ago – and more than 306,000 workers. Visitors can stay at one of 18 Lower Manhattan hotels, triple that number in the area 10 years ago, or visit more than a dozen museums and other cultural attractions.