A Q&A with Paula Port on how we’re drawing people to Toronto with 100%–a campaign that captures the city's energy, diversity, and openness.
Terminal editor Kathy Motton connected with Paula Port, Destination Toronto’s VP of Global Marketing, on the anthem, the inspiration behind it and how we’re targeting visitors.
It’s not a typical destination sizzle reel—it’s a bold, honest expression of what Toronto stands for and how we move through the world.
- Paula Port, VP of Global Marketing.
Kathy Motton: Talk to me about 100%, what does it mean and how does it represent Toronto?
Paula Port: 100% is how we show up. It’s our way of saying this is who we are, fully and unapologetically. Toronto is a global city through and through, but with a distinctly Canadian perspective. And that mix is something only we can truly own.
It’s where culture, creativity and innovation collide. Where diverse perspectives don’t just co-exist, but come together to create something new. You taste it in our food, feel it in the energy of our festivals and hear it in the bold ideas that start here and reach far beyond.
The anthem brings that to life. It’s not a typical destination sizzle reel—it’s a bold, honest expression of what Toronto stands for and how we move through the world.
Toronto is layered. It’s complex. It doesn’t fit neatly into a single box—and that’s exactly what makes it so compelling.
KM: What did the creative process look like and how does it differ from previous campaigns?
PP: This was a really collaborative and thoughtful process from the very beginning. We worked closely with LifeLongCrush to create something that wasn’t just beautiful or cinematic but that really said something about who we are as a city.
The brief was ambitious in terms of its deliverables. But beyond the technical requirements, we wanted to tell our story clearly and boldly. And, honestly, that’s a big task. Toronto is layered. It’s complex. It doesn’t fit neatly into a single box—and that’s exactly what makes it so compelling. So the challenge was how to tell a story that captures all of that, without oversimplifying it or watering it down.
That’s also what made this different from past campaigns. We didn’t start with a demographic or platform in mind and try to reverse-engineer a message to fit. We started with the story—what we wanted people to feel about Toronto and then let everything else follow from there.
We take that responsibility seriously because this isn’t just about marketing to visitors. It’s about making sure that the people who live and work here see their city reflected in a way that feels true and, I hope, makes them proud.
KM: How are we rolling out the campaign to respond to current market conditions?
PP: We’re heading into summer with confidence and a strategy that reflects the opportunity in front of us.
We’re being intentional about where and how we show up. This isn’t just about reach, it’s about telling Toronto’s story boldly and turning interest into action.
Our U.S. fly market campaign is the biggest push. It launches May 27 in New York/ New Jersey, San Francisco/ San Jose, Chicago and Washington, DC. It’s a digitally-led campaign with a strong social presence across Meta, Reddit and Pinterest, and it includes a partnership with Air Canada to drive urgency through limited-time offers. It’s also supported through a broader co-operative initiative with Destination Canada, giving us even more visibility and impact across these priority markets, right at the moment people are making their summer travel decisions.
Closer to home, we’re rolling out regionally starting June 2 as part of our summer co-op campaign. That includes Ontario, Quebec and U.S. border states, targeting both families and couples. It’s running across YouTube, Connected-TV (CTV), social, search and Google demand gen. There’s also a creator component on TikTok to help us connect in a more authentic way.
We’re being intentional about where and how we show up. This isn’t just about reach, it’s about telling Toronto’s story boldly and turning interest into action.
