Destination Vancouver is launching a campaign aimed at Australians to show them why Vancouver is worth visiting.
Developed in partnership with creative agency Will, “Make Friends With Vancouver” seeks to position the city as the go-to vacation place for Australians during the winter season. It also encourages Australia to make Vancouver Sydney’s next official Friendship City, a program in which the government aims to strengthen connections with cities that have similar values and goals.
The campaign uses a cheeky tone to highlight that both Vancouver and Sydney share a focus on sustainability and diversity, in addition to their coastal locations, active lifestyles and welcoming culture. Through fast-paced videos and digital ads on social media, Destination also invites Australians to check out the city by visiting one of its Michelin-recommended restaurants or to grab a pint at a craft brewery.
All of the campaign’s ads lead to a microsite where Australians can plan their Vancouver vacation and sign a petition for Vancouver to become a Sydney-friendly city, with a chance to win a trip to visit. The results of the petition will be sent to Sydney’s mayor, Destination says.
“The campaign stands out from traditional tourism marketing approaches that tend of be montages of everything to do in the destination. Instead, we’ve focused on how Sydney and Vancouver have a lot in common, how we should be friends with one another,” Stefan Hawes, VP of global marketing at Destination Vancouver, tells strategy.
Hawes says the idea came about because Australians already travel to British Columbia to ski and snowboard, but often overlook Vancouver in the process, as it is considered a stopover rather than a destination.
“There’s an opportunity for them to spend more time Vancouver as a part of that adventure. To recover from a long journey and get ready for the next phase,” Hawes says.
The campaign fits with the the tourism organization’s current brand positioning, which looks to create deep connections with people in Canada and other key markets to drive tourism to Vancouver. With this campaign in particular, Hawes says that Destination looks to capture the attention of residents between the ages of 18 and 55.
“The majority of them share a lot of the same values as Vancouver, an appreciation of nature, active lifestyles, a love of great food and drink, and a warm, welcoming culture,” Hawes says.
The campaign will run in Sydney until July 8, with Noise handling the media buying. In addition to digital media and social media ads, the initiative is being supported by OOH.
