Universal McCann gains 1m Brazilian tourism brief

Universal McCann has been awarded the £1m media planning and buying account for the Brazilian Tourist Board. The agency won the business without a pitch.

The account was handled in house, although Universal McCann has previously worked with the organisation on a project basis.

The agency is now developing a campaign that aims to raise awareness of the country as a tourist destination. It will run across outdoor, print and online and will break next month.

The campaign aims to show that Brazil is more than just the Rio Carnival and will highlight the country’s musical heritage, its beauty spots, such as the Amazon rainforest, its beaches and the diversity of its food and culture.

The creative account is handled by McCann Erickson Brazil and is not affected by the review.

Last year, the tourist body focused on supporting travel agents in a bid to boost visitor numbers. It launched an ad campaign and held roadshows and training programmes for agents interested in selling Brazil as a tourist destination.

The country’s Ministry of Tourism also set up a travel trade office in the UK to work alongside the tourist body in a bid to increase visitor numbers following the launch of charter flights to the country.

Brazil has seen a rise in popularity with British holidaymakers, with the number of UK visitors increasing from over 125,000 in 1999 to nearly 170,000 in 2005.