Tourism 2010 Resource Centre

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Tourism Industry Puts on its Game Face

British Columbia’s natural bounty and celebrity talent are coming together to make history as the Province of British Columbia rolls out an unprecedented Games-time marketing effort for the entire world to see.

The multi-media You Gotta Be Here marketing campaign harnesses the star power – and pride – of six well-known British Columbian celebrities with wide ranging appeal. Actors Michael J. Fox, Ryan Reynolds, Kim Cattrall and Eric McCormack, NBA superstar Steve Nash and musician Sarah McLachlan all appear in the new campaign, touting the diverse landscape and attributes of their home turf.

Aimed primarily at travellers from the United States, as well as from Ontario and the Prairies, the multi-million dollar campaign integrates broadcast, print, online and contest components to drive home BC’s epic travel opportunities.

The most prominent aspect of the campaign is a 30-second television commercial featuring the six celebs in quintessentially BC surroundings – from mountains to city to sea – describing their province as “laid-back,” “beautiful,” “big” and “cosmopolitan.” Locations in the TV ads were selected to equally showcase highlights of each of BC’s six tourism regions, along with the cities of Victoria, Vancouver and Whistler.

“This campaign is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Kathleen Lorentsen, Director, Marketing Communications, at Tourism BC. “Past marketing efforts and our Games activities in Torino and Beijing have helped us to build global awareness of the Super, Natural British Columbia® brand. Now, as hosts, it’s our time to take over the spotlight and expose BC’s tourism potential.”

The ads began running on CTV, Canada’s Official Olympic Broadcaster, on January15, and started airing February 12 south of the border on US Official Olympic Broadcaster NBC. Lorentsen expects almost a billion impressions from the television campaign alone.

“With NBC commanding a 50- to 60-per cent share of American television viewers during the Games and CTV commanding a 40- to 55-per cent share of all Canadian viewers, this is a rare chance to maximize tourism potential to the Canadian, American and global market,” she says.

In addition to airing the commercials during and after the Games, CTV and its affiliates will feature regional travel segments on Canada AM and eTalk from Robson Square, as well as 15 sponsored ‘My BC Vignettes’. NBC will air the ads during and after the Games, as well as 10 ‘Destination BC’ segments that highlight locales outside of Vancouver and Whistler.

CTV and NBC will also host dedicated landing Web pages for the campaign, featuring digital ads and a Web video.

Online, the public will have an opportunity to win incredible packaged trips that embody the spirit of each tourism region. The Win Your Dream BC Vacation contest promotion, which features six specialized trips to each tourism region in the province, includes a heli-hiking adventure in the Kootenays and a luxury guest ranch experience in the Cariboo.

“Our aim is to increase tourism visitation in all regions of the province after the Games,” says Lorentsen. “By presenting opportunities for travel in spring and summer, in addition to winter months, we’re letting potential tourists know that there is more to BC than ski hills and ice rinks.”

Print ads, including two special supplements in the Globe and Mail, regional insertions in BC and Yukon community papers, and ads in Invest BC and Forbes magazine, will promote BC travel through stories and by directing readers online, where they can enter the regional contest and learn more about vacationing in BC.

The campaign features two websites. The first site, www.discoverourbc.com, invites visitors to ‘Create Your Perfect Vacation in British Columbia’ through interactive photo galleries in five categories: Urban Life, Arts and Culture, Great Outdoors, Food and Drink, and Winter Sports.

A second site, www.yougottabehere.com, provides BC residents with a local take on the Games experience, and encourages travel within the province.

“Tapping into the pride that British Columbians feel about their province and the excitement of the Games is a key part of the campaign,” says Lorentsen.

The multi-media marketing campaign also includes a major out-of-home advertising push with welcome signage, billboards, transit ads and other outdoor elements blanketing over 3,800 locations throughout Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and the Sea to Sky corridor, including BC Place, Vancouver Airport and Sky Train stations.

‘You Gotta Be Here’ branding, showcasing large-scale images of regional attributes, will adorn Robson Square where 250,000 visitors are expected during the Games.

The campaign effort will be strategically supported with updates and linked content from HelloBC.com, with highly visible dedicated space to present new campaign content to consumers.

"By leveraging the pride of BC celebrities, we have a strong forum for showcasing our diverse and exhilarating tourism experiences throughout the province,” says Lorentsen.