Province�s tourism marketing wins another international award

The Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation�s 2001 marketing campaign has garnered another prestigious award at the New York Festivals which honours excellence in media communications.

Kevin Aylward, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, confirmed the news today. "The marketing campaign for last year featuring the ads that many of the people saw during the broadcast of Random Passage has won the gold medal for Advertising and Marketing Effectiveness. The award is based on the direct correlation made between the ads shown in Canada and the United States, and their role in enticing people to visit our province. What makes this award more prestigious is that we beat thousands of entries from all over the world. This campaign also won the gold medallion for best direction in the broadcast category. As a government and a department, we work very hard to present the best face of this beautiful province to the rest of the world to encourage the growth of our vibrant tourism industry. Our marketing campaign is strong and innovative and works."

The minister continued: "This is the second set of awards for the 2001 campaign. In the spring of last year, our print and television advertising campaign won a gold, a silver and two bronze medals at the annual Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Advertising Awards held in New York. I want to congratulate the staff of my department and Bristol Group, our agency of record, for their hard work and commitment that provides for such exciting and innovative ways of marketing Newfoundland and Labrador to the world."

The gold medal award for Advertising and Marketing Effectiveness is based on information regarding inquiries about the province, marketing strategies and results. The statistics are compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador and Bristol Group. Germany received the silver and bronze awards, while Turkey received the award of merit. The three most important advertising contests of this kind take place in New York, USA; London, England; and Cannes, France. New York Festivals was founded in 1957. Their Web site is www.nyfests.com

Media contact: Catherina Kennedy, Communications, (709) 729-0928.

2002 02 06                          3:25 p.m.