Visit Tucson's new promotional video
- featuring music of country superstar Randy Houser -
shows off the unique character of Southern Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz.-Visit Tucson has captured the essence of what makes the city it represents so special - majestic views from Mount Lemmon's Windy Point and dramatic shots of Mission San Xavier del Bac's colonial Spanish architecture to cycling through Gates Pass's saguaro-studded hills, glimpses of luxurious resorts and the modern lure of a revitalized downtown - in its new video, "Top of the World," streaming now on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEFF2XRLrOw).

Featuring the music of country superstar - and recent Country Music Association (CMA) Song of the Year nominee - Randy Houser, the short film is the third collaboration between Visit Tucson and Team Two Entertainment, following the music videos for Houser's Top 5 smash hit "Like A Cowboy" and, most recently, "We Went," currently climbing the charts and racking up thousands of online streams ahead of Houser's forthcoming album.

"The minute I heard 'Top of the World,'" said Allison Cooper, vice president of sales & marketing for Visit Tucson, "with its lyrics about how you can see everything - moon and the stars - it spoke immediately to what's so special about the city I love."

Director Dustin Rikert of Team Two believes Tucson is a great place to show on film, including Mount Lemmon's Windy Point, 6,600 feet above sea level, which features prominently in both "We Went" and "Top of the World. "The vistas, the picturesque scenery," said Rikert, "you can't get that anywhere else."

Houser's time in Tucson has largely been spent working; he shot two music videos and performed at a sold-out concert last December at the Fox Tucson Theatre. "The local resources of Visit Tucson and the city's unique landscapes have absolutely raised the overall production value of these videos," said Houser. Next trip to Tucson, however, Houser said he hopes to find more downtime to enjoy everything the town has to offer, such as getting in a round of golf.

The video, showing local talent and actual visitors enjoying their surroundings, includes references to Tucson's top country music station KIIM-FM and several of Visit Tucson's partners, including a bottle of wine from Charron Vineyards and pecans from Green Valley Pecan Company shown in the initial scenes at Mercado San Agustin, and shots at local resorts Omni Tucson National Resort, Hilton El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort and JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa. Local restaurants Agustin Kitchen and The Coronet are also seen, providing viewers with a taste of the incredible dining experiences available in Tucson (plus the Sonoran hot dog, a local favorite, sneaks into a shot as well). And the word-renowned Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum kept the story humming by showcasing playful desert wildlife. 

Actor and Team Two Producer William Shockley believes the "Top of the World" video captures much of what's great about Tucson. "Tucson has a youthful energy," Shockley said, "a dynamic you don't get in other cities."

An article about the video, outlining the inspiration behind the locations and the experiences shown, is available online at visittucson.org/topoftheworld. 

"Tucson has been part of film history since westerns were first produced here in the 1920s," said Cooper. "The 'Top of the World' video is another opportunity to show the world the beauty and diversity of Southern Arizona - the exciting past, present and future of the area - on the screen."

Together with the video, Visit Tucson will be running "Top of the World" themed contests, activations, and marketing efforts over future months, emphasizing the experiences found in Tucson that are way beyond typical, where, as the lyrics to the song state, you "want this moment to last," when "everything about this is right."

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"Top of the World" is featured in the video through the kind cooperation of songwriters Rob Hatch, Vicky McGehee, Lance Miller and Jason Sellers.

More information about Randy Houser's creative partnership with Visit Tucson can be found at http://www.visittucson.org/randy-houser/.

More information about the Tucson Film Office (Film Tucson) and Tucson's storied filmmaking history can be found at http://www.filmtucson.com/.

Visit Tucson's mission is to drive economic development by connecting visitors with their ideal travel & meetings experiences in Tucson and Southern Arizona. Free yourself in Tucson: http://www.visittucson.org/.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 17, 2015
Contact: Dan Gibson, Director of Communications
520-770-2133 | dgibson@visittucson.org