The Canadian Tourism Commission has added a new wrinkle to its Locals Know multimedia advertising campaign by asking almost 30 famous citizens to reveal their favourite Canadian destinations.
Former Olympic sprinting champion Donovan Bailey, actor Gordon Pinsent and musicians Jim Cuddy and K-OS are among the well-known Canadians whose photos and descriptions appear on the “Celebrity Spots” section of the CTC’s LocalsKnow.ca website.
Bailey’s recommendation of the Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay near Georgian Bay, Ont., for example, is accompanied by a picture of the athlete along with a paragraph explaining his affinity for the location.
LocalsKnow.ca incudes more than 3,600 photographs uploaded by Canadians wishing to share their own favourite locations in the country.
The celebrity concept grew out of the fact that many of the famous faces featured had heard about the campaign and had begun to contribute their own content, said Gisele Denis, executive director, domestic marketing for the CTC.
“It wasn’t forced and it seemed pretty natural, so we thought, if there are some celebs and well-known people who are aware of this and talking about it, let’s see if others will jump on board,” she said. “It was very grassroots. The campaign was already in motion.”
Denis said the celebrity contributions would “amplify” the buzz about the campaign.
“We think it brings another dimension of intrigue and exploration—which is our brand—and builds the pride for this country, which is what our brand is all about,” she said.
The celebrity recommendations were coordinated by DDB Public Relations and represent the latest addition to DDB’s Locals Know initiative for the CTC. The campaign is geared to the domestic tourist market and includes television, print and online advertising.
