Case Study: A West Midlands Welcome

Telling the story of the West Midlands to an international audience

“A West Midlands Welcome” is a campaign produced by BBC Storyworks, the commercial content studio of BBC Studios for West Midlands Growth Company.

The campaign and film features an incredible array of the region’s most iconic figures and attractions, including Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Glynn Purnell, Celine Gittens (Birmingham Royal Ballet), TOA Taxis, Warwick Castle, Black Country Living Museum, Arfan and Imran Ditta (Royal Watan), and William Shakespeare (Tudor World Museum).

Objective

• To raise awareness and enhance the profile of the West Midlands across the United States and Canada.
• Positioning the region as a hub of bold innovation, rich heritage, and vibrant culture
• Encourage greater numbers of ‘Experience Seekers’ to explore the West Midlands

Solution

Utilising a combination of video, display, social media and a BBC.com brand hub to craft an exciting narrative around the West Midlands and its hero themes, telling the story of its diverse culture, a world-renowned food scene, iconic heritage sites, and unique attractions, with a warm West Midlands Welcome. 

The campaign ran for three months between 17 October 2024 and 17 January 2025.

Results

• The campaign significantly exceeded expectations, receiving over 4m impressions (113% of target) 
• The film was viewed nearly 305k times and performed in the top 3% of BBC benchmark for the emotion ‘happiness’ in our Science of Engagement Study
• The West Midlands saw a +140% uplift in familiarity, +188% uplift in positive sentiment towards the region, and +153% uplift in consideration to visit the West Midlands
• Winner of the Best Travel & Tourism Programme at the Native Advertising Institute Awards 2025 - Global Edition