Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism is looking to get would-be visitors to connect with the province’s way of being, instead of a check list of vacation activities.

The deck of 42 cards is divided into two categories, “Inspire” and “Imagine.” The “Inspire” cards offer a few words of wisdom from around the province for people to contemplate, while “Imagine” cards are more visual, and make it easy for them to picture themselves exploring the sights and sounds of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Gillian Marx, media lead at Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, says that the cards represent a fresh new way to engage with the brand, by giving people a chance to “slow down and imagine themselves here.”

TJ Arch, creative director for the organization’s longstanding agency Target, says that while there are lots of things to do in the province, it recognizes that a vacation is also a great time to slow down and take a deep breath, especially given that a lot of tourism campaigns solely focus on a laundry list of activities that can be done.

The ethos is in keeping with the brand’s recent “Leave No Sung Unsung,” campaign, which, as well as highlighting Newfoundland and Labrador’s picturesque beauty, also captures the spirit of the people who live there and their mentality.

According to Arch, the campaign hits its core audience, as mindfulness is on-trend and has appeal that spans demographics. It isn’t something the brand has articulated this literally, even as it’s been part of the brand’s ambition and it’s a concept he believe has legs beyond this campaign.

“We are not suddenly a health and wellness brand, but I think everybody in their day-to-day is looking for a bit of a reprieve from the hustle and grind of the city,” Arch maintains.

The take time to smell the roses sensibility is reflected in the cards, with reminders including “there’s a reason it’s called fishing, and not catching,” telling visitors about the importance of contemplative reflection, as well as activities they can do that reflect these states of mind.

The physical cards are be distributed to key influencers and at travel-trade shows, with digital decks tied to a social media contest for a six-day, all expenses paid trip. Weekly draws are also taking place to win one of 21 limited collector’s editions of the MindSet cards.

“We never went into any of this expecting to contest,” Arch says, but it drives a high amount of engagement. “We love to do contesting because we love to engage with [enthusiasts] and to make sure we get physical [card] sets into people’s hands.”

Craft is providing influencer support, with Target also handling the buy. It’s a “contained” media buy, Arch explains, primarily leaning into social.

Outside of social, in February, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism also launched a “Welcome Desk” campaign. For years, Target’s TV ads have often ended by telling viewers to call people like Seamus or Maggie to get more details about booking a trip. The new campaign brings those people to life as characters that are meant to reflect the kind of low-key, personable people one might meet on a trip to the province.