DOT unveils new tourism slogan: Love the Philippines
THE Department of Tourism (DOT) unveiled on Tuesday the country’s “enhanced” tourism campaign slogan – “Love the Philippines.”
The slogan replaces the 11-year-old “It’s More Fun” in the Philippines, almost a year since the Marcos administration announced its intent to come up with one that showcases the “Filipino brand.”
“The campaign Love the Philippines is not a mere branding campaign, but rather a call to action to every Filipino citizen to remember the beauty of our country, to honor our past, and to look forward to the future armed with the virtues, (and) values of being a Filipino,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said during the launch on the sidelines of the DOT’s 50th-anniversary celebration at the Manila Hotel.
“Love the Philippines is a recognition of our natural assets, our long and storied history, our rich culture and diversity,” she said.
Frasco expressed hope that the new slogan would sustain interest and bring attention to places not necessarily highlighted in DOT’s typical branding campaign.
In a presentation, Marie Adriano, marketing firm DDB Group Philippines’ brand and strategic planner, pointed out that “love” is the positive theme travelers associate with the Philippines and is “frequently mentioned in high volume globally.”
“While fun remains a positive theme and certainly part of the Pinoy DNA, there’s less volume of mentions,” she said.
Adriano noted that the pandemic that prompted revenge travel also birthed the kind of tourists that value not only leisure but also meaningful experiences.
“Coming from a culture shift, naturally, changes in the consumers follow. Who are they? We call them the ‘changed traveler’ for the very reason that traveling has come to mean more than just leisure,” she said.
Adriano explained that travelers are now looking for “real world experiences” where they can immerse in other cultures, as well as curated experiences that are unique or out of the ordinary.
Frasco said the DOT would retain the previous campaign’s custom-made type font called the “Barabara,” which resembles the iconic signage used on jeepneys and sari-sari stores.
“It’s known already all over the world and so we capitalize on its success,” she told reporters. “We will continue to market the Philippines as fun all over the world, but we will also articulate that the Philippines has so much more to offer in addition to fun – we are honoring our culture, our history, our heritage, our people, our flavors, and all our other tourism offerings.”
Meanwhile, Senator Francis Chiz Escudero said the DOT’s new campaign “Love the Philippines” is worth giving a chance as the Marcos administration strives to attract more international tourists to help the country recover economically from the effects of the recent COVID-19 health crisis.
“The last thing I want is for our country and people to be seen bickering about our slogan in front of foreigners/tourists—our putative market. I refuse to be part of any such thing until we have given it a chance,” the senator stressed.
He admitted though that the previous campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” launched in 2012 worked well for the country since it generated some 4.47 million in tourist arrivals in 2013 to more than 8.26 million in 2019 just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Philippines in early 2020.
“While I believe in the saying ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’ I am willing to give it a chance,” said Escudero, adding that the effectiveness of a slogan depends on many factors, such as the destination’s unique offerings, target audience and marketing strategy.
For Senator Nancy Binay, the Philippines has so many things to offer in terms of tourism citing our cultural advantage and history.
Binay lauded the effort of the DOT in promoting the country here and abroad and the new slogan is “just right.”
“It’s nice to show the world that we are back on our feet and ready to welcome balikbayans and foreign guests. We appreciate the initiative of the DOT to enhance its marketing pitch to kickstart tourism. And I believe dumaan naman sa FGDs ang slogan.” she said. PS Jun M. Sarmiento, Philippine News Agency
