Visit Wales commercial promotes 'holidays unpackaged'

by Joe Thomas, marketingmagazine.co.uk 16-Jan-09, 10:50

LONDON - Visit Wales' latest campaign, fronted by Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert, aim is to change the way in which people approach their holidays. By highlighting local culture alongside the environment it believes that it can provide tourists with a richer experience.

The new approach has been dubbed as ‘holidays unpackaged.' The campaign was created by Wieden + Kennedy London and Partners Andrews Aldridge

The TV and cinema campaign created by W+K is a 40-second documentary style trailer where Gilbert is seen visiting different places of interest in Wales, and talking to real people who work in the industry along the way. There are also four web films found at the Visit Wales website which go into more detail on Gilbert's experiences.

Partners Andrews Aldridge has developed the work for the direct elements of the campaign using the headline ‘Try something new(ish).' Two million mail packs will be distributed and inserts will appear in titles including The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, The Independent and Country Walking, from now until March.

The campaign also includes a three-stage email mailshot to 139,000 Visit Wales contacts directing people to a new microsite. As well as the web films, the site will also host content including articles, events, news, links and blogs about the changes taking place in holidays in Wales.

Gilbert said: ‘I don't do ads as a rule, but promoting Wales was an exception. I got to fall in love all over again with parts of the country that I hadn't been to in years.'