Amazing Race marketing campaign up for national prize
A marketing campaign showcasing Canada’s North is a finalist for a national award.
The Pan North Territorial Consortium’s campaign around The Amazing Race Canada is one of just four finalists in the category of Marketing Campaign of the Year at the Canadian Tourism Awards.
The campaign was conceived to ensure that the inaugural season of The Amazing Race Canada came North in 2013.
The result was massive exposure for all three territories. Episodes showcased the scenery and adventure, and contestants raved about the experience.
The race returned to the Yukon this season with teams taking part in activities such as mushing, mountain biking and paddling the Yukon River.
Muskoka hippies Mickey Henry and Pete Schmalz went on to win the show, beating out gold-medal Olympic hockey players Natalie Spooner and Meaghan Mikkelson.
The territories and their agency worked closely with Bell Media and Insight Productions in the planning of the episodes.
The integrated marketing campaign included promotional spots featuring host Jon Montgomery, snips in program that let viewers know just how close the North was to their gateway city, and updates to the Canada’s North website to reflect the look and feel of The Amazing Race Canada.
Social media was also used extensively to connect with viewers and to entice them North to explore the three territories.
“We take every chance we get to showcase Canada’s Arctic, a region so many Canadians haven’t been to but are curious about,” said Colleen Dupuis, CEO of Nunavut Tourism and chair of the Pan Territorial Marketing Consortium.
“This opportunity was one that was not to be missed.”
“We were excited to work with our partners in Nunavut and Yukon on this great opportunity,” added Cathie Bolstad, executive director of N.W.T. Tourism.
“Marketing Canada’s North together, we maximized the exposure of all three territories and we were able to showcase this spectacular region of Canada to all Canadians.”
“We were thrilled that the rest of Canada got to see some of this special part of the country,” stated Denny Kobayashi, senior manager of global marketing, Travel Yukon.
“This nomination from our industry confirms what we already felt – the campaign got it right.”
Tourism Yukon spent $420,000 to draw the Amazing Race Canada back for a second straight season, with the lion’s share of the budget going towards 50 commercial spots promoting the territory.
The Canadian Tourism Awards are presented annually by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada to recognize success, leadership and innovation in Canada’s tourism industry, and to reward organizations that have gone above and beyond to offer travelers superior tourism experiences in Canada.
The winner of the Fairmont Hotel and Resorts Marketing Campaign of the Year award will be announced during the Tourism Congress, Nov. 25 and 26, in Ottawa
Source:http://www.whitehorsestar.com/Sports/amazing-race-marketing-campaign-up-for-national-prize