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By Danielle Long, Acting APAC Editor

January 24, 2023 | 3 min read

Tourism Fiji has abandoned the poolside Pina Coladas to tap into the culture of the island in a new global brand campaign, which launches today.

The ’Where happiness comes naturally’, created by Host/Havas and Havas Media, comes just over one year since the Island re-opened to tourism and focuses on Fiji's people, culture and authentic experiences to promote the destination than centering on tourists and their experience.

The new platform is an evolution of Tourism Fiji's marketing, which encouraged people to find their happiness in Fiji.

Tourism Fiji chief marketing officer Emma Campbell, said, “Our happiness brand platform has attracted people from all over the world. We have always told the Fiji story from the perspective of visitors, but we wanted to flip the narrative and show that the source of happiness a Fijian holiday brings is Fijian culture itself.

"We’re proud to roll out this meaningful brand platform, ‘Where happiness comes naturally’, which celebrates the people of Fiji, showing that here, happiness really does come naturally to us, but there is more than enough to share.”

The campaign positioning taps into the consumer trend for meaningful travel experiences that create a connection to culture and communities. A recent study by Booking.com revealed that 66% of travellers want authentic experiences representative of the local culture.

Destination brands such as Tourism New Zealand and Tourism Australia have also sought to utilise these insights in their marketing campaigns, with both brands heavily promoting the authentic cultural experiences of both nations.

It comes as destination brands around the globe compete fiercely for tourism dollars. A recent report by The Economist predicts global tourism arrivals will increase by 30% in 2023, following growth of 60% in 2022. However, these will remain below pre-pandemic levels as the impact of the global slowdown, the war in Ukraine and the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 continue to affect consumer behaviours.

Jon Austin, executive creative director at Host/Havas, said the campaign "flips the traditional tourism dynamic and celebrates this incredible place and its incredible people.”

“It was such a privilege to go beyond the poolside pina coladas and add new authenticity and depth to the happiness found in such abundance in Fiji, a spirit that has existed for generations. From collaborating with local artists to recording music in village homes and voice-overs in the three primary languages of the country (iTaukei, Fiji Hindi and English) to spontaneously and genuinely capturing this Fijian spirit with National Geographic photographers we couldn't be happier with this campaign."

The campaign incorporates a new logo created in collaboration with third-generation Fjjian Masi artist Wati Maraiwai Talavutu. It also features photography by renowned National Geographic photographer Matthieu Paley and was directed by Finch’s Kyra Bartley.

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