VisitScotland runs cinema ads for ‘southern travel junkies’

VisitScotland is launching a £2.7m ad campaign to attract visitors from England after it was revealed that more than half the population has never been north of the border.

A new cinema ad, created by London agency Coast, will break on February 1 in 118 cinemas in southern England and the Midlands, with the strapline: “A Perfect Day”. The campaign will also feature print ads in film magazine Empire and a dedicated website.

The same theme will be carried through into Visit-Scotland’s spring direct marketing work.

The ad was filmed on Barra in the Outer Hebrides and directed by Peter Webber. It shows a London couple escaping to the island, where planes use the beach as a runway. The ad features music by Scottish band The Waterboys.

Alistair Gronbach, Visit-Scotland’s head of marketing for the UK and Ireland, says: “Our research has enabled us to tailor this campaign for the Midlands, London and the south of England.”

He adds that the campaign is aimed at consumers dubbed “southern travel junkies”, who already enjoy short breaks and are familiar with Scotland.

Gronbach says the domestic market is “crucial” but adds it is important to “surprise” potential visitors. “It is not just about the obvious things like golf and walking.”

VisitScotland is aiming to increase tourism revenues from £4bn to £6bn by 2015, and at present 88% of the market comes from UK and Ireland.