The Bay of Quinte Region is attempting to lure urbanites to its shores, with a campaign highlighting the area’s natural beauty, numerous wineries and affordable housing options.
The Bay of Quinte Region, located on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, includes Belleville, Napanee, Brighton and Prince Edward County. In an effort to entice visitors, the creative focuses on the rural aspects of the region, culinary attractions (Bay of Quinte boasts more than 30 wineries, along with numerous breweries) and its 1,200 kilometres of waterfront. Cheap housing is another huge draw- the average price of a home hovers around $200,000- and the region’s just a two-hour drive from the Greater Toronto Area.
The Ontario-centric campaign kicks off Feb. 18, with “Isn’t It Time?”– a 30-second spot slated to air on CTV and its affiliate channels. The commercial, which was directed by documentary filmmaker Michael T Morrow, features music by Juno-award winning artist Michael Hanson (formally of Glass Tiger) chosen specially to highlight the Anglo and Celtic history of the area.
The campaign was developed by Toronto-based shop Engagers, which counts Canada Blooms, First Gulf and Hot Docs among its clients. The agency won the business last year after the Bay of Quinte Living and Bay of Quinte Tourism put out an RFP looking for an agency to write a five-year marketing strategy and to begin delivering on it in 2015. Engagers won the business, and has partnered with Belleville web firm, Snap360, to work on the Bay of Quinte Region website.
“This region is the best kept secret right now in Ontario,” said Bruce Sudds, founder and president of Engagers. “We’re going to make sure it’s no longer a secret. [The Bay of Quinte] in that sweet spot, where you can be there from Toronto in two hours… you could be along the Sandbanks Provincial Park and then at a winery, or having an amazing dinner at the Drake Devonshire. The fact that it exists within 90 minutes, two hours from the GTA, I think is really going to start to be a big driver.”
Sudds said the campaign is targeted towards Torontonians fed up with high housing prices and a lack of open space, seniors looking for a vacation home, and those with disposable income looking for an “adventure.”
“We need to get people out to have the experience of this place, and that’s going to really make them want to live there we think,” he said.
Elements of the campaign, which runs for 52 weeks, include social, radio, digital and print, along with several promotions and events slated to take place in Toronto over the next six months. Three additional 30-second TV spots will also be rolled out throughout the year.
