Puerto Rico Tourism campaign gets warm response in Big Apple debut.

A cold winter night and the chic Exit Gallery up-and-coming art district of Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan served as the setting to unveil the warm images and catchy rhythms of the Puerto Rico Tourism Co.’s (PRTC) new advertising campaign “Through the Eye of an Artist.”

Recently introduced to mainland U.S. tourism executives and trade media, island officials hope the campaign’s snapshots of everyday life, images of the island’s beauty and tropical music will warm travelers’ hearts and distinguish Puerto Rico as the Caribbean’s most diverse and vibrant destination.

“The campaign will be a very refreshing change from the traditional sun, surf and palm tree ads you’ve seen from other Caribbean destinations,” PRTC Executive Director Jaime López Díaz told event guests, adding it will help distinguish Puerto Rico from competing destinations such as the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Maarten and Panama.

The campaign was developed by the PRTC in conjunction with De la Cruz & Asociados and stateside advertising firm Ogilvy & Mather. The $10 million first-year run kicks off with a series of Elliott Erwitt photographs taken during a return trip to Puerto Rico this spring when the world-renowned photographer, recognized for his unique “street photography,” rediscovered the islands’ essence: romantic, rich in culture and history.

Puerto Rico has been faring well this year, according to PRTC Marketing Director Edna Schmidt, by running promotional campaigns with themes such as “Big thrills, small bills” that have helped stop the downward trend the island’s tourism industry had endured amid the global economic crisis.

“From an execution standpoint, we’re introducing the concept of Puerto Rico as an archipelago, a cluster of unique islands each with a unique appeal. This too sets us apart from the average Caribbean destination. Our beaches, which continue to be a major attraction, are also very diverse due to the archipelago nature of the islands. From more family-type beaches in the San Juan metropolitan area, to sports-driven beaches in the western part of the island to more private settings in Vieques, Culebra, Mona and Caja de Muertos, that’s a diversity only we can claim,” noted Schmidt.

Erwitt’s photographs reflect contemporary life on the islands and reveal character, depth of history and an unparalleled culture not found elsewhere in the Americas, noted Schmidt.

Puerto Rico through the eyes of the industry

“This is the first time a new tourism campaign for Puerto Rico is created and launched with the engagement and full participation of all industry sectors from hoteliers, the PRTC, the Economic Development & Commerce Department, Rums of Puerto Rico and even focus groups including prospective customers,” said Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association (PRHTA) Executive Director Clarisa Jiménez. “That’s a good start.”

This is music to our ears, said Todd Reppert, senior vice president of business development for Morgans Hotel Group, whose boutique hotel properties include the Delano in Miami, the Hudson Hotel in New York City, the Mondrian in Los Angeles and its newest addition, the Water Club Hotel in Isla Verde.

“We’re definitely looking for sophisticated guests who appreciate the full experience a destination can offer,” said Reppert. “Our guests are usually experienced travelers and enjoy getting to know the local culture and getting immersed in the exciting nightlife and cultural attractions of a destination. This campaign delivers all of these attributes. The PRTC’s timing in launching this new campaign will certainly bode well as we remodel the Water Club and introduce it to our guests. It will be the perfect complement to our marketing efforts.”

For César Rolón, of Chicago-based Community Travel, the campaign is a welcome change for the Windy City market, which boasts a sophisticated tourist base and a large Hispanic and Puerto Rican population.

“We’re pleased to see that after more than eight years, Chicago, one of the main cities in the states, is finally included in the PRTC’s target markets. Chicagoans by nature are experienced travelers and have been exposed to the Latin culture through its thriving Latino population,” he said.

The multimedia initiative will zero in on seven top stateside markets including New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami and Chicago.

However, Puerto Rico has always been the perfect destination to introduce North American tourists to the idea of international travel, Rolón said. No passport is needed, most people speak English, its historical heritage is comparable to beautiful European cities yet it is exotic and tropical enough to feel uniquely international.

For Wilma Berríos, a member of the New York State Board of Education, the new campaign definitely evokes a unique sense of nostalgia.

“Yes, the campaign seems to be aimed at North American tourists but, like myself, I know there are many Puerto Ricans living in the states who’d like to travel to the island to get reacquainted with their Puerto Rican roots,” she said.

Verizon’s Manager of Corporate Accounts Haydee Avila, who is of Puerto Rican heritage but born and raised in New York, added: “This is a real treat. I belong to a third generation of Puerto Ricans whose island culture and traditions are as foreign to us as any other international destination. I’m looking forward to visiting Puerto Rico with a renewed sense of curiosity, to explore beyond the traditional family visit, to get to know our people.”

The stakes and competition are high

On the other hand, as guests reviewed Erwitt’s photographs, many discussed the challenges the new campaign will present as the PRTC tries to break through the competitive media clutter.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what kind of marketing and sales approach it will use to actually attract tourists to Puerto Rico. The campaign is aesthetically beautiful, and certainly evokes a unique emotional response, but in today’s competitive market and difficult economic climate, hard-hitting sales are important,” noted Carlos Velásquez, president of marketing firm Galos Corp., the marketing arm of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade—a cultural event in New York City that attracts 2.5 million spectators every year.

“It’s definitely a different approach than the traditional hard-hitting, sun and palm tree campaigns out there. But it is different because Puerto Rico is also different from those other Caribbean destinations,” said René de la Cruz, president of De la Cruz & Asociados, the PRTC’s local advertising agency.

De la Cruz also said image-rich print ads, with longer-than-usual written copy, will be complemented by the more traditional TV spots featuring travel and tourism packages and prompting prospective visitors to experience the island to its fullest.

“As the tourism industry goes global, the use of online or Internet-based sales tools have proliferated. The seepuertorico.com website, which offers rich details of not only Erwitt’s photography but also high-quality video clips, encourages visitors to start their Puerto Rico experience before they arrive on the island,” noted De la Cruz.

A rather quiet Erwitt observed how an enthusiastic crowd rediscovered Puerto Rico through the clever lens of his camera.

“It’s like asking me who’s my favorite child,” said Erwitt, when queried about his collection. “They are all unique and special. The most important aspect of this campaign is that through it all, it is the true essence of the people of Puerto Rico that comes through in the campaign. And that hasn’t changed between my first visit to the island 50 years ago and when I went back again a couple of months ago.”

Over the longer term, the PRTC expects the campaign to evolve through different executions over the next three years. The agency hopes it will have a measurable impact in the local economy including an increase in tourism expenditures from $3.6 billion in 2008 to $5.6 billion by 2015 and a boost in the total number of visitors to 6.4 million from last year’s 5.4 million.

The PRTC also projects the new campaign will help spur an increase in overnight international visitors from 353,000 to more than 800,000 in seven years.

Courtesy of http://www.caribbeanbusiness.com