Executive Council
Tourism, Culture and Recreation
September 8, 2007

Province�s Tourism Marketing Campaign Wins Top Atlantic Award

Newfoundland and Labrador�s tourism marketing campaign has received top honours at the annual Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise (ICE) advertising awards held Friday, September 7, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Each year, Progress Magazine honours top marketers in the Atlantic region through its Marketer of the Year competition.  Marketing and communications campaigns generated in Atlantic Canada, from both the private and public sector, are eligible and the winner is announced at the ICE Awards.

�We take great pride as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in welcoming visitors to our wonderful province, and we also recognize the related economic potential,� said the Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.  �That is precisely why, four years ago, we committed to increasing our tourism marketing funding and have nearly doubled our spending to $11 million. This prestigious award reflects the benefits of this investment.�

The Provincial Government worked with Target Marketing and Communications Inc., headquartered in St. John�s, to bring the province�s marketing vision to life through an innovative, multi-faceted advertising campaign which highlights the unique experiences available to visitors to this province.

�Our tourism partners throughout the province have embraced our new approach, and we are reaping the rewards of marketing this place with confidence, ingenuity and passion,� Premier Williams said.  �I could not be more proud of this great accomplishment and I thank our agency partners for their tremendous contribution, and for helping the province realize our vision for marketing the spirit of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Our ever-growing tourism industry is in large part due to this successful and compelling campaign.�

The Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, also congratulated Target and acknowledged the company�s creative contribution to the Provincial Government�s efforts to grow the tourism industry.

�We know that travellers are seeking compelling, authentic experiences to unique destinations, and we feel Newfoundland and Labrador offers those experiences,� the minister said.  �The advertising campaign showcases who we really are � a natural, yet surprisingly exotic destination that goes far beyond the packaged, run-of-the-mill kind of tourism other destinations offer.�

Minister Hedderson said tourism advertising has become remarkably similar in message, content, attitude, look and feel.

�It was the Provincial Government�s intention that its marketing campaign stand out and the recognition received at the ICE Awards indicates this goal has been achieved.�

Some of the unique aspects of the campaign included a two-minute television spot to launch the campaign � which is very unusual in the advertising industry � as well as a giant billboard placed on the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto this summer which featured white sheets hanging from an actual clothesline strung above the busy highway.

Early indications are that the campaign has generated increased interest in Newfoundland and Labrador as a travel destination.  Tourism inquiries were up more than 24 per cent to the end of July 2007 and visits to the province�s tourism Web site have more than doubled over last year.

�We will have a clearer picture over the next month or two concerning how the 2007 tourism season is unfolding, but we are encouraged by the early indicators and, with a sustained marketing effort, we expect to see industry growth continue in the years to come,� Minister Hedderson said.

The Newfoundland and Labrador tourism marketing campaign will be featured in the October issue of Progress Magazine, along with the other four finalists for the Marketer of the Year Award.  Elements of the winning advertising campaign can be viewed at www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/SightsAndSounds.

Further information on the ICE Awards can be viewed at: www.iceawards.com.

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2007 09 08                                        9:45 a.m.