Client: China National Tourism Organization
Job: To raise the image and awareness of tourism opportunities in China to a U.S. audience
Agency: Partner Concepts LLC, based in Annapolis
Theme: “Welcome to China”
The Concept: A healthy economy and a steady travel market in America make it a good time for China to promote itself as a desirable tourism destination, especially with the 2008 Beijing Olympics on the horizon.
The Plan: Partner Concepts is running monthly, full-page color ads promoting China in the upscale magazine Conde Naste Traveler, and placing periodic half-page ads in The Wall Street Journal that are timed to coincide with the newspaper’s travel coverage.
The firm hosted a cocktail reception and sit-down dinner at Manhattan hot spot Cipriani earlier this year for more than 300 diplomats, airline and hotel executives, media and other opinion-makers.
The event was intended to promote China as an affordable travel destination with a booming new hotel industry and highlight the plentiful supply of U.S.-China flights.
The event also included a fashion show with models wearing traditional and modern Chinese clothing in an effort to begin to familiarize guests with Chinese culture.
Creative Team: Leah Prehn (senior graphic designer), Paul Cohen (president), John Riggin (chief operating officer)
Background: Partner Concepts launched in 2001 to develop custom marketing programs for countries seeking to market themselves to the U.S. as travel destinations. The firm has designed programsfor Vietnam, Iceland, Scandinavia and a coalition of Asian countries.
Working on Next: The firm is launching a big campaign promoting tourism to eastern Africa, led by Ethiopia and Ethiopia Airlines.
