Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Brilliant Marketing Ideas In History, Comment, Creativity, Culture, Cunning, Devious Strategy, Insight, Marketing, Relevance, Tourism
I’ve written a lot about the state of tourism advertising.
To be honest, there’s very few categories that do it worse.
A mass of generic vignettes that shows every possible activity you can do with a bad line stuck at the end that generally tends to be some over-promising superlative placed before the name of country the ad is about.
There have been a few exceptions.
The original ‘100% Pure’ New Zealand campaign is one, but there’s not been many more.
Which is why I loved this poster that appeared in Helsinki …
OK, so they are preaching to the converted – given anyone who saw it happened to be there anyway – but it’s just a great way to make someone feel special and welcomed.
I love it.
I love it for so many reasons.
I love how they celebrate their visitors while also acknowledging they’re bloody nutcase.
I can imagine a tourist seeing that, agreeing it was a mental thing to do and then walking away smiling … feeling better about their decision and themselves.
That’s pretty impressive. Especially for a poster.
Which all goes to show that brands that are self aware can connect to culture better than brands that are bland egomaniacs.
18 Comments
I love the Helsinki poster but most of all I love this.
“Which all goes to show that brands that are self aware can connect to culture better than brands that are bland egomaniacs.” Brilliant.
Comment by Pete December 4, 2017 @ 6:22 amwhat the fuck are you doing up at this time? what the fuck are you doing up at this time and checking this shit hole? what the fuck are you doing up at this time, checking this shit hole and writing a comment? are you fucking insane? im guessing it has something to do with your little one. kids make us do the most fucked up things.
Comment by andy@cynic December 4, 2017 @ 6:36 amKids cost us in multitudes of ways.
Comment by DH December 4, 2017 @ 7:21 amin your case, its your fucking brains and taste
Comment by andy@cynic December 4, 2017 @ 8:49 amI am happy to not be a badass. Cool poster though.
Comment by DH December 4, 2017 @ 6:27 ambut definitely an ass.
Comment by andy@cynic December 4, 2017 @ 6:37 amFunny how most tourism ads seem to be designed to make tourists want to go somewhere else.
Comment by DH December 4, 2017 @ 6:28 amWell to be honest, given 99.9% of tourism ads say and show the same thing, they’re less about making you want to go somewhere else and more about confusing you where to go.
Comment by Rob December 4, 2017 @ 8:07 amive been to helsinki.you dont have to be a badass you just have to be prepared to be bored out your fucking mind.
Comment by andy@cynic December 4, 2017 @ 6:39 amI have too. You’re not completely wrong.
Comment by Rob December 4, 2017 @ 8:07 amcondescending wanker.
Comment by andy@cynic December 4, 2017 @ 8:49 amI would never survive Helsinki in November. I find SF too cold right now.
Comment by George December 4, 2017 @ 7:20 amMe too. And what’s weird is Shanghai was waaaaaaay colder than LA could ever be and yet in the morning, I’m wrapping up as if I’m in the North Pole.
Comment by Rob December 4, 2017 @ 8:08 amI’m spending Christmas in Helsinki this year Robert. I was looking forward to it up until this point.
Comment by Lee Hill December 4, 2017 @ 7:41 amReally? Why are you doing that?
Comment by Rob December 4, 2017 @ 8:08 amBecause he identifies as a badass.
Comment by John December 4, 2017 @ 8:49 amIt was supposed to be a family visit. You may have ruined that for us now.
Comment by Lee Hill December 4, 2017 @ 12:46 pmAs a new resident in NZ, I am not sure the reality here is living up to the brand anymore: http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/new-zealand-tim-smit-environment-problems-lakes-rivers-algae-nitrogen-eutrophication-dairy-industry-a8090481.html By the way, there was, in the past, some great tourism work out of Singapore and the legendary Iain Batey shop. Singapore Airlines obviously, but the original work for the Raffles, the Shangri-La hotel (Singapore’s other botanical gardens) and the proper campaigns churned out for the STPB (now STB – Singapore Tourism Board) were terrific.
Comment by David Brain (@DavidBrain) December 4, 2017 @ 5:49 pm