HSMAI Honors Visit Jackson With Multiple Adrian Awards For Outstanding Travel Marketing

Visit Jackson has earned national recognition for marketing excellence from Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and was honored at the 2025 Adrian Awards Celebration held last night at the New York Marriott Marquis.

Now in its 69th year, the Adrian Awards is the largest and most prestigious competition dedicated to travel marketing. The 2025 awards recognized exceptional achievements across advertising, digital marketing, public relations/communications, and integrated campaigns — with expanded recognition in areas such as influencer marketing, reputation management, affiliate strategies, and broadcast integration.

Visit Jackson received two Gold, Best of Category Awards and a Bronze Award for an outstanding entry in the following categories:

• Gold Award, Best of Category – Broadcast Television: Traditional TV, Cable or Streaming > Paid Media Only: Awarded for This Little Light, the narrative and lyrical broadcast campaign created in partnership with MWB that redefined Jackson beyond the expected Southern destination story. By centering the city’s singular role in America’s Civil Rights legacy through two interconnected video series, the campaign drove emotional resonance, strengthened cultural relevance, and ultimately shifted traveler behavior, resulting in increased overnight visitation.
• Gold Award, Best of Category – Consumer Brand Campaign > Multi-Channel/Integrated Marketing: This honor recognized the integrated This Little Light campaign, which moved beyond traditional destination marketing and grounded the city’s identity in what no other Southern city could claim: its central role in the Civil Rights Movement. Through paid media, digital storytelling and strategic PR amplification, the campaign delivered higher-value visitation, deeper audience engagement and national visibility in priority markets.
• Bronze Award – Consumer Brand Campaign > Earned Media Only: Recognized the success of Visit Jackson’s PR efforts, led in partnership with Lou Hammond Group, with no paid media support, the team executed a fully earned strategy that elevated Jackson’s Civil Rights narrative at a national level. Grounded in authentic, community-rooted storytelling, the campaign generated extensive press coverage and millions of organic impressions.

“Jackson has long played a vital role in the history of our nation,” said Jonathan Pettus, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Visit Jackson. “This Little Light invited travelers to see our city not just as a destination, but as a living chapter of the Civil Rights movement. Being recognized by the Adrian Awards underscores the cultural weight of this work and the importance of sharing Jackson’s legacy with the world.”

The 2025 theme, The Exceptional Experience, celebrated the creativity and impact of campaigns that go beyond the destination - highlighting the power of storytelling, emotion, and experience in inspiring travel decisions and shaping unforgettable journeys.

“The Adrian Awards showcase the work that sets new standards in travel marketing,” said Brian Hicks, President and CEO of HSMAI. “This year’s winners represented the ingenuity and passion that continue to elevate the global travel experience.”

The Adrian Awards Celebration brought together top hospitality and travel marketing leaders and their creative partners for an evening of inspiration and recognition. Winning entries were featured in the official Adrian Awards Winners Gallery following the event. Visit adrianawards.hsmai.org for more information.