Milwaukee Bucks Star Bobby Portis Hypes the City in New Video

Milwaukee Bucks star and NBA Champion Bobby Portis is known for bringing the energy on the court, now he’s doing the same off the court for his city.

Visit Milwaukee has announced a partnership with Portis to promote the destination and drive increased visitation. The centerpiece of this partnership is a video produced by Visit Milwaukee’s leisure advertising agency Hanson Dodge that showcases Bobby’s love for Milwaukee as he acts as a “hype man” at attractions around the city.

In the video, Portis visits Colectivo Lakefront, the Riverwalk, Bradford Beach, the Harley Davidson Museum, Milwaukee Public Market and the Iron Horse Hotel.

“Since Bobby has made a name for himself as a fan favorite and an emotional leader with the Milwaukee Bucks, we thought it would be fun to have Bobby bring the same energy to promoting the great things to do in Milwaukee during the summer,” said Josh Albrecht, Visit Milwaukee’s vice president of marketing and communications. “Whether that is volleyball at the beach, coffee on a patio, boating on the river or a trip to a museum, we know there is plenty to get excited for.”

The video will be supported by a marketing campaign targeting visitors in markets within a six-hour drive of Milwaukee. In May, according to data from Tourism Economics, 36 percent of Milwaukee’s visitors came from outside Wisconsin, while 21.7 percent came from Illinois, and a combined 24.1 percent came from Minnesota, Iowa, Florida, Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Missouri and Ohio.

The Portis campaign is similar to other influencer partnerships the convention and visitor’s bureau has undertaken with increasing frequency in 2022 to share and tell Milwaukee’s story to new audiences.

“We love this partnership with Bobby and are looking forward to more like it with other athletes, entertainers, musicians, and artists throughout the city over the next few years to help us showcase how thriving and vibrant Milwaukee is and will continue to be,” Albrecht said. “Telling these stories will inspire others to see Milwaukee in new and fresh ways and to inspire pride in the city.”

The partnership also aligns with the mission of Sports Milwaukee, a separate division of the company that markets Milwaukee as the ideal destination for sports events, thereby driving more economic impact to the region.