Bobby Portis Wants You to Visit Milwaukee

Milwaukee has a new hype man. Though he is usually known for rocking his signature white sweatband, you may have glimpsed him lately, clad in sunglasses and a Bobby Potus t-shirt, at some of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

That’s right, Bucks power forward Bobby Portis recently entered a partnership with VISIT Milwaukee to help sell tourists and promote the city as a destination.

The partnership was announced Friday, accompanied by a promotional video showcasing Portis’ love for Milwaukee. Produced by VISIT Milwaukee’s leisure advertising agency Hanson Dodge, the video will be accompanied by a marketing campaign targeting visitors in markets within a six-hour drive of Milwaukee.

“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 & 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.”

Among Portis’ stops were Colectivo Coffee, the RiverWalk, Bradford Beach, Milwaukee Art Museum, Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee Public Market and The Iron Horse Hotel, greeting fans all the while. The video, posted Friday on his Instagram page, has already racked up more than 17,000 views.

“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.”

Portis is the latest in a series of influencer partnerships for VISIT Milwaukee. The company has also worked with musicians Grace Weber and Mudy on their “Milwaukee anthem,” “414,” digital creator Phil Calvert, videographer Sam Li, Zach Brose and Tara Brose, Bill Clevlen and Daniel Hernandez.

In May, according to data from Tourism Economics, 36% of Milwaukee’s visitors came from outstate Wisconsin, while 21.7% came from Illinois, and a combined 24.1% came from Minnesota, Iowa, Florida, Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Missouri, and Ohio, according to a press release from VISIT Milwaukee.

Portis, who joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020, eight months before the team would win the 2021 NBA Finals, has quickly become a fan favorite and local hero. In August, 2021, he re-signed a contract for four more years with the Bucks.

The partnership dovetails with the mission of Sports Milwaukee, a division of VISIT Milwaukee that markets the city as a destination for sports events.