Nova Scotia unveiled a new tourism campaign with the tag line “Take Yourself There” on Wednesday.
“Unlike previous years, we’re definitely targeting new visitors,” said Shawn King, president and chief executive officer of Extreme Group, the ad agency behind the new tourism campaign.
“We’re looking for outdoor enthusiasts, not people who will lay on the beach for a week,” he said. “We want them to go places, try new things and spend money.”
Set to launch its first phase on March 18, the campaign reminds visitors that the “best laid plans are best left behind,” and travelling in Nova Scotia is all about the journey, the experience and being able to linger longer. “The province wants people to come, go for a drive or a bike ride, and explore,” said King.
Extreme Group won the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency account last year. It has created three 30-second television spots, and one 60-second spot. The campaign will also feature print ads, out-of-home (billboards, digital signage), online ads and a refreshed website. A revamped version of the province’s travel guide is also available and, for the first time, visitors can access that guide in a digital format.
Related
• Atlantic provinces renew tourism partnership for $20 million
• Nova Scotia angles for a Titanic tourism boost
• Extreme wins N.S. Tourism away from Colour
The multi-platform campaign marks several changes in strategy for the tourism organization. The province doubled their spending on online ads compared to past campaigns, there is more of a campaign in central Canada than in previous years, and spending has shifted away from travelers closer to the province. Such changes are meant to target those who have never been to Nova Scotia.
Target areas farthest from Nova Scotia will see ads first, starting in March. Print, online and billboard ads launch March 18 in Ontario, New England, the eastern U.S. coast and beyond. Television ads launch that week as well, but they will only play in Canada.
In April, the campaign will hit Quebec – a province where Nova Scotia hasn’t advertised in more than three years. Lastly, the campaign will launch in Atlantic Canada in May, in hopes of reaching vacation-at-home and last-minute visitors.
