Great Britain has launched its biggest ever tourism campaign this week, with a goal of attracting over 4.6 million extra visitors to the British Isles over the next four years. The £125 million ad campaign is set to target 14 different cities in nine countries around the world. The theme of the campaign is “GREAT”.
The timing of the ad campaign is set to capitalize on several different events in 2012 including the London 2012 Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. If the goal of 4.6 million visitors is reached, this will generate an estimated £2.3 billion in revenue for the United Kingdom.
This initiative flies in the face of conventional wisdom which says that the government should cut back on marketing and promotion to reduce spending in times of austerity. However, the UK Government has chosen to ignore those concerns and focus on promoting Britain to international visitors. The ads will be seen in posters, television, and in cinemas in Paris, New York, Mumbai, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne, Berlin, Beijing, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, New Delhi, and Sao Paulo.
Creative Advertising
Some of the elements of this advertising campaign are quite unique and creative and go beyond the traditional media of posters and television. In New York, an entire subway car will be re-branded and covered in traditional British colours. At the Louvre in Paris, a sign near the entrance will let visitors paying the high admission charges know that entry to the British Museum is free. The ads will also be places on 100 taxis across New Delhi in India. Advertisers hope that at least 70 percent of the population in each of the target cities will see the billboard, television or cinema advertisements. If so, this would mean approximately 90 million people would engage with the advertising campaign.
Advertisements Outline the Highlights of the UK for Visitors
The series of advertisements each focus on an individual aspect of Great Britain which visitors will find appealing. According to the ad campaign designers, the elements which are being highlighted have been proven by their research to be the aspects that draw the most overseas visitors. These are the rich history and culture, the thriving live music scene, the gorgeous countryside and natural beauty, and the excellent shopping opportunities.
The campaign will also include several celebrity spokespeople, such as Matt Smith from Dr. Who, who will be speaking about the beauty of Wales.
Olympics Don’t Guarantee Tourism Boost
Although the UK government has been criticized for rolling out a costly advertising campaign when it will already be receiving unsurpassed attention from countries all over the world as it hosts the Olympic Games, the government has stated that the games are no guarantee of a tourism boost. They hope to make sure that the legacy from the games continues in the form of increased tourism jobs and a steady flow of visitors. The travel industry fears that the number of traditional foreign tours which will come to London will drop this summer as visitors are put off by the crowds and the high hotel prices during the games.
