Warhol-like Ads Break Traditional Tourism Mold, Emphasize Cultural Depth
(Lake Worth/January 2015): The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County has launched a new marketing campaign designed to inform prospective visitors that the area’s famously beautiful beach culture boasts as much culture as it does beach.
From now through September, these creative concepts will come to life in a variety of marketing efforts, including print and digital placements in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Boston Globe. The new campaign features a series of ads that playfully shun typical beach scene stereotypes and spotlight the county’s cultural attractions with imagery reminiscent of Andy Warhol alongside a slew of taglines such as:
- “Vacation doesn’t have to be vacuous.”
- Just because we’re beautiful doesn’t mean we’re not smart.”
- “You’ll catch us hanging at the beach and in galleries.”
“In these new advertisements, we are speaking directly to the 76 percent of leisure travelers – 130 million tourists – who are interested in cultural tourism,” said Marilyn Bauer, Director of Marketing for the Cultural Council. “In addition to our famous beaches and golf courses, there is an abundance of world-class art and culture for travelers to experience in Palm Beach County.”
As part of the Tourism Development Council, the Cultural Council hopes this fresh new campaign will add to the $24 million cultural tourism brings in in local and state revenue, and continue to boost the $250 million annual economic impact it has on the county. Its 200 arts and cultural organizations provide more than 42,000 offerings each year that draw a combined audience of nearly 4 million people (nearly half the population of New York City). Those cultural offerings are responsible for the creation and sustainment of 6,000 full-time jobs in the region and have enabled the Council to support the local arts community with $3.6 million in annual grants from Palm Beach County.
The campaign will also extend beyond the borders of the United States thanks to a partnership with international media entertainment company Olympusat, which will air Cultural Council video content to millions of households across Latin America. The Council also has a relationship with BrandUSA that will bring this message to viewers in Europe and South America.
