Lenny Kravitz invites people to ‘fly away’ to the Bahamas in tourism campaign
Bahamian-American rock legend Lenny Kravitz and The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation have unveiled The Bahamas’ new, multi-channel creative campaign that captures the destination’s spirit of adventure and discovery.
Lenny Kravitz and Bahamas locals
A television spot, set to Kravitz’s 1998 hit song Fly Away, captures his deep personal connection to the island country, which served as inspiration for the campaign. The spot features crystal clear waters, beautiful tourists enjoying the beaches and local culture, and ends with a dreadlocked Kravitz piloting a motor boat by the islands.
Dig deeper, and Kravitz is part of the new content hub, which is designed to draw visitors into island-specific microsites that deliver vertical market video content on topics ranging from island hopping and boating to culture and cuisine, while simultaneously highlighting uniquely Bahamian experiences, places and personalities. It starts with Kravitz telling why the Bahamas are such a draw for him, such as the “magic” and the feel he had of “going to another world,” but most importantly the natural beauty and the people of the islands. Some of those people are profiled on the site, such as Lady Di (aka Eleuthera’s “Pineapple Lady”), Junkanoo and the popular People-to-People program that matches visitors with local hosts.
Written in The Bahamas, Fly Away was inspired by the islands' white sand beaches, crystal-clear waters and countless summers the singer spent with his grandparents and mother, the Bahamian-American actress Roxie Roker. Behind-the-scenes video follows Kravitz around his home base of Eleuthera, where he records music, embraces island time and appreciates "this gift we were given. 'Take your time' is our call to arms," he said.
"The music represents not only the edgy independence of the Bahamian people, but also speaks to those who travel here for deep-sea fishing, shark diving and opportunities to embrace new discoveries," said Mia Weech-Lange, senior director of global communications for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation.
Out-of-home advertising began with billboards in New York City, Atlanta, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Houston. The OOH tactics also include a subway station domination of Columbus Circle in New York City and a presence at Sawgrass Mall in Florida, as well as aboard Brightline passenger trains in South Florida. The media buy includes a mix of television, search, social, programmatic and display targeting prospective visitors where they consume news, entertainment and information.
Supporting digital content will allow The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation to raise awareness of the destination's many islands. The new hub draws visitors into island-specific microsites delivering inspiring vertical market video content on topics ranging from island hopping and boating to culture and cuisine, while simultaneously highlighting uniquely Bahamian experiences, places and personalities.
"We are excited by this campaign and honored to partner with Lenny Kravitz. Our islands and his song fit perfectly together, allowing us to reach a broad new audience, especially digital content consumers, through authentic storytelling," said minster of tourism, Dionisio D'Aguilar.
"The Bahamas is absolutely inspirational. We know that and we believe this campaign demonstrates that to consumers in a true, direct way by sharing many of our people, their islands and their stories with the world. Setting it all to perfect music is icing on the cake," said director general, Joy Jibrilu.
The campaign was created by Tambourine, a communications firm with specialization in destinations and hotel e-commerce.
