Madrid Turismo by IFEMA MADRID Launches "Madrid Beats" to Position Madrid as a Top-Tier Destination

Sep. 04, 2026

What makes Madrid unique cannot be seen; it can only be felt. That contagious energy you sense the moment you step into its streets originates deep within the city, from a heart beating beneath its avenues, forests, towns and historic sites. This heart is the defining symbol of Madrid and the core idea behind Madrid Beats, the new international campaign and communication platform from Madrid Turismo.

From the leadership of Madrid Turismo by IFEMA MADRID, Juan Manuel Sánchez, Marketing Director at IFEMA MADRID said:

“Madrid Beats is part of a clear, ambitious marketing strategy designed to continue strengthening what makes Madrid unique connecting the city, the region, and its energy with increasingly diverse and global audiences. This initiative showcases the value of leadership and collaboration between the Regional Government of Madrid and the Madrid City Council, working in close coordination with IFEMA MADRID and the private sector to project a cohesive, competitive, and attractive brand image for the destination. When strategy, creativity, and institutional cooperation move in the same direction, opportunities multiply to solidify Madrid’s international leadership as a premier tourism, business, and cultural destination.”

 

On her part, Carmina Serrano, Director of Madrid Turismo by IFEMA MADRID noted:

“Madrid Beats is a new communication platform built to endure over time, with the goal of positioning Madrid as a top destination for high-value travelers. Our purpose is to bring consistency to this ambitious campaign across all touchpoints in 13 target markets. To execute the project, we introduced a new working methodology—shifting from a model involving 17 different international agencies to consolidating everything under a single agency network managed directly from Spain. This allows us to craft the creative vision using local insights while executing a global media strategy tailored to each country.”

 

Campaign Concept

The concept captures the entire sensory experience of visiting Madrid: its energy, lifestyle, and that invisible heartbeat you feel when walking through its streets, forests, towns, and museums. This comes to life through the campaign’s central icon: the invisible heart of Madrid—a symbol beating beneath the surface, infusing the entire city and region with an energy you won't find anywhere else in the world.

The commercial, designed as the centerpiece of Madrid Beats, follows a tourist who discovers Madrid's heart and gets swept up in its rhythm across various moments and historical eras. Along the way, they cross paths with figures like Ava Gardner, Ernest Hemingway, Francisco de Goya, and Diego Velázquez—all of whom also found in Madrid the very energy that inspired the campaign's creative concept.

Developed by Havas Creative, the campaign builds a new brand territory for Madrid rooted in the shared essence, identity, and energy of the city and region.

According to Jesús Rasines, CCO Havas Creative Network Spain:

"Madrid has a distinct identity and energy, but the challenge was finding a concept that could synthesize them and make them recognizable beyond our borders. That's why this campaign stems from a simple yet powerful idea: turning what makes Madrid unique—its lifestyle, character, and the energy you feel when exploring it—into a symbol strong enough to transcend traditional tourism advertising. Our goal wasn't just to talk about Madrid to the world, but to build a distinctive, recognizable brand territory capable of driving the city's positioning as one of the world's leading urban destinations".

 

Furthermore, the invisible heart is designed to transcend the campaign itself, aiming to become a permanent brand asset for Madrid—a new icon for both locals and visitors that leaps from the commercial into real life through a large-scale sculpture inspired by the rock types most abundant across the Region of Madrid.

The initiative was presented this morning at an official event led by the President of the Region of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso; the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida; and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of IFEMA MADRID, José Vicente de los Mozos. Bringing together institutional representatives, tourism and business leaders, as well as national and international media, the event provided the backdrop to reveal for the first time the replica sculpture featured in the campaign.

The film production was handled by ROMA and directed by Nono Ayuso (represented by Contrario), one of Spain's most internationally acclaimed directors and a Cannes Lions Bronze award winner. The film features voiceover narration by American actor Walton Goggins, known for his roles in productions such as Justified, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, Fallout, and The White Lotus.

The original soundtrack was composed by Paulo Gallo, a composer, musician, and sound designer specializing in film, dance, and advertising, while the cinematography was led by Ana Francesca Solano, one of the most renowned directors of photography on today's audiovisual scene, whose vision lends the film a distinctly cinematic quality.

The visual campaign was developed through the lens of Rocío Aguirre, an acclaimed Chilean photographer living in Madrid, who offered her personal interpretation of the city's invisible heartbeat through a series of locations, resulting in 17 creative visuals adapted for different international markets.

Meanwhile, the graphic identity for Madrid Beats was crafted by the prestigious design hub T.O.T. Studio, tasked with creating a logo and visual system rooted in the subtle details of Madrid’s streets—drawing inspiration from the shapes, colors, and historical

typography that have always defined the city. The result is a system capable of translating Madrid’s heartbeat into a distinctive language instantly recognizable at every touchpoint.

The launch is backed by an ambitious international media plan developed by Havas Media, prioritizing video channels (Connected TV & YouTube) to maximize campaign reach and visibility. The strategy is complemented by high-impact OOH (out-of-home) formats, social media, cinema, influencer marketing, and branded content partnerships across top-tier publications in each market.

The campaign will feature a major global rollout across 13 countries: the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

This far-reaching activation reinforces Madrid Turismo’s international strategy, aiming to consolidate Madrid (both city and region) as a benchmark luxury and premium destination worldwide.