PHILIPPINE ROAD SHOW. London’s iconic black cab, one in a motorcade led by Filipino officials on Tuesday, goes around the streets of London proclaiming that “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” The London promotion opens the country’s new tourism campaign that targets the millions from all over the world predicted to converge in the UK capital for the Queen’s jubilee feat and the Olympics. DFA PHOTO
The tourism department’s new slogan, “It’s more fun in the Philippines” is going places.
On Monday, a DOT-produced TV commercial carrying the new brand traveled the world via the media giant CNN. On Tuesday, the government’s tourism campaign took to the streets of London with 50 black cabs and 25 double-decker buses carrying banners of the new slogan.
Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said the 30-second TV ad was inspired by some 12,000 memes generated online that put a witty spin on the new slogan.
The simple TV ad begins with the statement: “We asked people why it’s more fun in the Philippines…” and is followed by a montage of memes showcasing the country’s culture and scenic tourist spots. The DOT said it secured a clearance to be able to use Boney M’s “Gotta Go Home” as soundtrack for the ad.
The ad montage includes a snapshot of a dining table set up on the white sands of El Nido, Palawan province, and the blurb: “Outdoor cafes. More fun in the Philippines.” There is also a photo of the wide-eyed tarsier captioned, “Staring contests. More fun in the Philippines.”
The TV ad also has a video of flickering Christmas lanterns described as “Stargazing. More fun in the Philippines.” A photograph of a horse-drawn carriage (calesa) has the caption: “Stretch Limo. More fun in the Philippines.”
Price tag: P63M
The DOT spent P63 million for the CNN TV spot which will run until June, Evelyn Macayayong, chief of the Tourism Marketing Communications Office, told the Inquirer in a phone interview. “We got a huge discount for the spot,” she said, adding that producing the TV commercial almost cost nothing since the DOT used materials—a mix of photographs and videos—donated by the public.
“The phenomenal and viral success of ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’ is greatly due to the people who have participated in the campaign with their catchy and witty versions, each proving to the world how it is indeed more fun in the Philippines,” the DOT said.
The commercial ended with a question posed to viewers: “What will you come up with?”—some sort of a come-on for potential travelers to explore the Philippines. Jimenez explained that the last statement was meant to keep the campaign’s interactive theme going.
The tourism agency said the airing of the TV ad on CNN was timely since the media outlet was also featuring a weeklong special, “Eye on the Philippines” focused on different aspects of Filipino life and culture. The live reports began on Monday.
Motorcade in Central London
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the motorcade around Central London was led by Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Enrique Manalo and Philippine Tourism-London head Rosario Afuang, and included members of the press and the Filipino community. It made an unscheduled stop on Oxford Street—the busiest commercial district in the United Kingdom and in Europe—to give British shoppers an impromptu performance of Philippine songs and dances.
“This is just a sample of what you will experience when you visit our country,” a statement released by the DFA yesterday quoted Manalo as saying during the promotion. “A culture of fun, beauty and excitement awaits every visitor. With [our] 7,107 islands, guests are sure to find islands that will suit their [kind of] adventure.”
Queen’s Jubilee, Olympics
Aside from the banners carried by the vehicles around London’s most famous and visited sights, “It’s more fun in the Philippines” images will appear on 75 panels in some of London’s busiest underground stations, including Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus, Afuang said.
“There will also be 30-second ‘More fun’ ads appearing on 1,400 digital screens onboard London cabs,” she added.
The DFA said “the UK campaign will remain in time for the millions of visitors from around the world attending the Queen’s Jubilee in June, the Olympic Games in July and the Paralympic Games in September.”
“[More than] 100,000 British tourists traveled to the Philippines in 2011—an all-time high,” the DFA said. Tourists from the United Kingdom lead the European visitor traffic to the Philippines and rank 10th overall.
The DFA added that the London motorcade was part of synchronized efforts with DOT-Manila to promote the country worldwide through CNN International, and was meant to jump-start the government’s bid to draw 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016.