Tourism Quebec has launched its first Quebec Original summer campaign, the result of a two-year consolidation and rebrand that unifies the Quebec tourism industry under a single province-wide strategy.
The new brand was created by Cossette in Quebec. Florence Girod, the agency’s vice-president, strategic planning, said it highlights three aspects of Quebec culture that make it “original”: creativity (think Cirque du Soleil), authenticity (Quebec language and First Nations heritage), and nature.
“We made the decision to communicate what we really are, not to give them what they want to see,” she said.
The agency spent 18 months interviewing tourists and industry professionals to hone in on what’s most attractive to outsiders about Quebec culture. The research found that Quebec isn’t well known outside Canada, but that lots of visitors were surprised by the warm welcome and unique language. Cossette made language a central part of the brand — especially in the spots targeted at France, which are filled with signature Quebecois-isms.
Girod said the rebrand, which debuted last November, was meant to streamline Tourism Quebec and make its marketing more effective and cost-efficient. “There are a lot of people involved, and it’s very difficult to have all the industry aligned around the same vision,” she said.
The new summer campaign includes a series of spots tailored to markets in the U.S. and France, as well as a microsite that’s loaded with photos and easy to navigate. A 70-second French spot will be shown in cinemas in France. The campaign’s English YouTube channel has a total of 270,000 views already.
