VisitScotland set for £3.5m 'Surprise Yourself' campaign
A new £3.5 million TV marketing campaign is being developed by VisitScotland which hopes to generate over £65 million for the Scottish economy.
The campaign, by The Leith Agency, will run from 16 March and centre on presenting a ‘surprising twist’ on familiar Scottish backdrops.
The Scottish Government had included £1.5 million of funding for the campaign, with tourism seen as a key revenue generator for the economy.
Directed by David Eustace, the TV advert will replace the long-running ‘Senses’ series, introducing the line ‘Surprise Yourself’ and also highlight the friendliness of the Scottish people.
Malcolm Roughead will unveil the campaign during his speech at the Scottish Tourism Week industry conference.
Roughead said: “The importance of tourism to economic growth in Scotland is underpinned by the extra £1.5 million of investment into the Surprise Yourself campaign, which allows VisitScotland to increase its pre-Easter marketing activity. We all know that people want to visit Scotland, but this is all about persuading them to book now. From sled dog racing in the Highlands to watching dolphins leaping about in the Tay Estuary, Scotland is an amazing country chock full of surprising things to see and do. Our Surprise Yourself campaign will be used throughout the year, moving away from the seasonal campaigns of the past. And, just like Scotland itself, our new advert is full of wonderful surprises.”
The advert has been produced by MTP.
Meanwhile, VisitScotland has also announced a new growth fund which will allow businesses to apply for a total of £1 million of funding over the next three years.
The fund will be open to Destination Organisations and industry groups to offer up to 50% (from £5,000 - £65,000) of their marketing costs to develop and deliver new marketing activity, to help them reach new target markets, increase visitor numbers and create the environment for visitors to do more, stay longer and spend more.