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.
Seeing their preferences have expanded with new priorities and expectations, “brand enhancement is imperative to stay competitive and relevant,” she said.
“We can choose to stay where we are or choose to pivot and realize the vision of the future,” she added.
“What they’re seeking today and what interest them to travel, we have it. The wonderful thing is we actually have it and more, it’s just that they don’t know yet.”
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.” (PNA)
