Philippines tourism campaign kicks off in 2012

MANILA, Philippines – The much-awaited country tourism branding campaign is set to kick off in the first half of 2012, the tourism department said.

On Tuesday, Dec. 20, the department announced that it has selected and appointed BBDO Guerrero | Proximity Philippines to “shape all forms of communication for the country’s domestic and international tourism promotions.”

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez told reporters that they have delayed revealing the theme of the campaign to early January as the country continues to deal with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Sendong’s wrath in Northern Mindanao and parts of Visayas.

“We are excited launching the new brand early next year which we believe, will stimulate great interest and conversion,” Jimenez, a former advertising executive, said in a statement.

“Further development of BBDO Guerrero’s concept is underway, and the first iterations of the new campaign will emerge in the course of the first half of 2012,” he added.

This is the second time that the Aquino administration is crafting a tourism branding strategy. Under the watch of Jimenez’s predecesor, former Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, the Pilipinas Kay Ganda slogan and logo was dropped after it drew heavy criticism.

BBDO will handle all major media, here and overseas, “with special emphasis on digital communications like social media,” the tourism department said.

This is the second time BBDO won the project bidding. It was the only one that qualified in the first round, prompting Jimenez, who took over the post only in September, to conduct another.

BBDO bested seven other agencies, including Aspac, DDB, Dentsu, J.Romero, JWT, Lowe and Y&R.

“They were the last of the eight agencies presenting. And they were the exclamation point at the end of a long sentence,” Jimenez said, referring to BBDO.

“In their campaign, BBDO Guerrero was able to capture and encapsulate this complex problem into a motivating and exciting campaign,” the tourism secretary added.

David Guerrero, chair and CEO of the agency, said, “Our competition is global. And our responsibility is very local… We—and our worldwide network—are looking forward to making this a truly memorable and effective campaign that will benefit all of us who live here.”

Foreign arrivals from January to October reached 3.1 million, an 11.96% increase over the same period last year, the tourism department said. Its 2011 target is 3.7 million. – Rappler.com