MANILA: The Philippines has launched a new US$3 million
tourism campaign, WOW Philippines, to kickstart its moribund industry,
which has been laid low by the kidnapping of tourists.
The WOW campaign - short for "Wealth of wonders" - encapsulates the
variety of attractions the country has to offer, from nature, culture,
adventure and sports tours.
Tourism secretary, Richard Gordon, said. "We chose WOW because it's
short, easy to remember and is understood in many markets."
The general WOW theme will be divided into several sub themes to
highlight the outstanding features of various destinations as well as
interesting tourist activities.
Gordon said he came up with some of the taglines during brainstorming
sessions with agency executives. These include "Warm over winter" for
the beaches promotions, and "Weather our waves", which refers to an
international windsurfing competition in Siargao.
A budget of 150 million pesos (US$3 million) has been alloted for
television spots on CNN and press advertising. Gordon said he intended
to farm out portions of the campaign to five agencies" to engender
competitiveness.
Caballero Partners won work for the initial WOW posters.
