Originally published on The Amp, Giant Noise's LinkedIn newsletter. Event details are as originally published.
Welcome back. Issue 5 of The Amp is here. We’re fresh off the launch of our new Sol Like No Other campaign for our client Visit Phoenix, which AdAge just named one of the 13 creative campaigns to have on your radar right now. Herewith, a special Valley of the Sun Edition of our monthly newsletter.
The Work
The thinking, teamwork, and production that brought Visit Phoenix's new creative platform to life. Here's the story behind Sol Like No Other.
Why we did it: We were thrilled by the ask to develop a new creative platform that captures what makes Phoenix unlike anywhere else. The city has a depth and energy that can be easy to overlook from the outside, so our job was to close the gap between perception and reality. Our goal was always bigger than just a new tagline. We wanted an idea that could shape not just advertising, but also partnerships, events, experiences, and new ways for the city to show up for years to come.
What we did: Travelers are more intentional than ever about not just where they go, but why. So we set out to uncover the clearest and most relevant reason to choose Phoenix — one that gives the city the credit it deserves and helps people see it differently. We combined primary research, social listening, and a deep online audit. That work revealed three viable strategic directions, which we workshopped with our client partners. The result was a pressure-tested strategy and a creative brief with a clear point of view.
Outcome: We’re proud to introduce a new chapter for Visit Phoenix: Sol Like No Other. The idea shows how Phoenix’s sunlight shapes the city and helps both leisure and meeting/conventions audiences understand what the real Phoenix is all about. Led by Account Director Shruti Desai and Senior Creative Director Alie Jackson, the campaign was developed and produced entirely in-house. And this launch is only the beginning. A new wave of work is already underway for the city’s peak travel season in January.
Meet the Team
We're a people-first agency, so every issue we hand the mic to someone on our team. This month, we’re highlighting Alie Jackson, Senior Creative Director at Giant Noise.
Alie Jackson, Senior Creative Director at Giant Noise
5 Questions with Alie Jackson On the making of "Sol Like No Other" for Visit Phoenix
The platform does a lot of work at once: the sunlight, el sol, a nod to the Hispanic culture woven through the city, and that homophone reminder that Phoenix has "soul." Walk us through how that idea clicked. Was it a happy accident or a hard-won line? When receiving the brief, the word “Sol” hit pretty quickly. I knew the tagline needed to feel interesting, different, and when “Sol” popped up, I knew it was the anchor point and key to the platform on so many levels.
The brief was essentially "the light changes everything here." How did you translate an abstract feeling like sunlight into creative that shows up across the campaign? We wanted to translate the feeling of Phoenix’s light on so many levels. We used an existing symbol in the brand system of the sun/mountain that naturally fit in the O of “Sol” and used the warm colors in the palette to create a graphic system mixing photography and graphic styles for vibrant, attention-grabbing ads.
We started exploring music for our spots. We had worked with the local band fearofmakingout in our previous campaign, so naturally, when their manager sent me their song “Sol48,” and we had just landed on the tagline, it was fate and really captured the feeling we were going for.
We worked with a local photographer, Tanner Kalin, who also served as our location scout. We briefed him to find some locations where we could capture Phoenix’s light in interesting ways across the city, like the high-intensity direct sunlight and vibrant saturated colors, the incredible sunbeams that hit through downtown just before sunset, and the vibrant neon in Roosevelt Row’s bar scene.
This is an integrated campaign spanning many channels and touchpoints. What was the hardest creative decision you and the team had to make, and how did you land it? We had so many killer ideas for this campaign, so narrowing our focus for this launch was probably the hardest. This is the summer off-season in Phoenix, and our campaign footprint and media buy are smaller, so we don’t have all channels turned on yet. We had to table some of our more off-the-wall ideas for our full launch during winter and strategically decided to launch with a more dreamy, mellow summer vibe. That said, we’re cooking up our plans for peak-season creative, where we will shoot in the fall once things cool back down.
When a first-time viewer sees this campaign, what's the one feeling you want them walking away with, and how did the work get them there? It’s the most obvious one; I want them to feel like they had no idea Phoenix was so interesting and culturally rich and that they need to book a trip ASAP. Our clients have been incredible partners with a shared vision of highlighting Phoenix’s unique culture and showcasing the city's emerging class of creatives and innovators that make the city a must-visit destination.
Behind the Brand
Each issue, we sit down with a client, collaborator, or creative force we're proud to be working alongside, the kind of conversation that doesn't make it into a press release. This month, we're talking with Steven Totten, Director of Marketing at Visit Phoenix.
Steven Totten, Director of Marketing at Visit Phoenix
What are your top 5 must-dos or must-sees in Phoenix — the list you'd hand someone visiting for the first time? See a saguaro: You’ve seen them in every single desert scene in media, but they’re only found in the Sonoran Desert. Go to the Desert Botanical Garden, Papago Park, or Lost Dutchman State Park.
See a sunset: They hit different here. Trust me.
Get coffee: I know, you can get coffee anywhere, but the local spots here are primo. Top recs include Lux, Dialog, and Moxie.
Eat Mexican food: It’s not Tex-Mex, it’s not California fish tacos — it’s Sonoran style. Go to Bacanora, Huarachis, Taco Boys, Ta Carbon, or Casa Corazón. And then get a Sonoran hot dog at Lupita’s.
Putz around a district: This is good practice for travel, regardless of what city you’re visiting. In PHX, check out Roosevelt Row, Melrose, Uptown, Biltmore, or Old Town Scottsdale.
"Sol Like No Other" is launching this week. What does that phrase mean to you, and what do you hope it captures about the Phoenix experience that's hard to put into words? I’m probably (read: definitely) biased, but Phoenix truly is one-of-a-kind, and this campaign reflects that well. It is a major metropolis that’s also a small and welcoming community; it’s home to innovation both on a massive industrial scale and among DIY creatives; it’s lightbulb moments and suntans. I hope that audiences get to preview that dynamic when seeing the campaign.
What's been the most exciting or surprising part of bringing this campaign to life? Honestly, how receptive everyone’s been to it. Creative work always invites criticism, but this is one of the few, if not only, times where I’ve seen nothing but unanimous praise.
What's it been like partnering with Giant Noise on this launch — anything about the collaboration you'd want other brands to know? It’s been great to have a collaborative partner that gets it. I didn’t need to handhold or nitpick; Giant Noise absorbed the vibes and executed them seamlessly. I’ve also appreciated that they’re going the extra mile to try out some things that I wouldn’t have considered doing because of how strongly they feel about this collaboration.
What do you think sets Phoenix apart from other destinations right now? Okay, buzzword overkill right now, but an innovative spirit. Phoenix and its surrounding habitat have forced its inhabitants to be resilient and adaptive, and I think that shows throughout everything you see here. After decades of trying to replicate the vibe of other cities, mixed with the endless line of transplants from other cities, Phoenix has finally established its own hybridized and unique identity, and it seems like folks are taking notice.
What We're Loving
Early in our work with Visit Phoenix, the team got to know the city firsthand as part of our research and it's shaped how we approach the creative work ever since. Here's where the team would send you for the best food, art, and adventure in The Valley of the Sun.
AJ Hickcox, Director of Strategy: Valentine - James Beard Award finalist with the best soft pretzel around, plus a vintage furniture shop tucked in back, Modern Manor.
Shruti Desai, Account Director: Float the Salt River (go early to catch wild horses grazing along the banks), or check out the contemporary collection at the Phoenix Art Museum.
Gabe Phelan, Art Director: Desert Botanical Garden — go at sunset for the best light and desert views.
Garrett Smith, Photographer: Bar 1912 for cocktails built around Arizona's desert ecosystems, and Lom Wong, a James Beard Award finalist, for incredible regional Thai food.
Lindsay Womack, Senior Designer: Bacanora — open-flame Sonoran cooking from James Beard Award winner Rene Andrade. Anything on the rotating menu is a win.
Jack Gross, Creative Producer: Tacos and the concha ice cream sandwich at Huarachis Taqueria — a can't-miss combo.
Emma Forbes, Associate Art Director: Hike Lost Dutchman State Park for trails and sweeping views of the Superstition Mountains.
Alie Jackson, Sr. Creative Director: Retro Ranch for vintage finds, and the Heard Museum for indigenous art spanning ancient to contemporary.
See you in Issue 6. Until then, follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, forward this to someone who needs to know about Giant Noise, and if you're ready to work together, reach out at newbiz@giantnoise.com (mailto:newbiz@giantnoise.com).