Oranjestad, Aruba "“ November 17, 2006 – The Aruba Tourism Authority announced the launch of its new national advertising campaign in the United States. The campaign, an investment of over $4.3 million for the destination, consists of 30-second television spots, magazine, newspaper and Internet advertising. The creative and media are handled by the destination's advertising firm, Fitzgerald+CO in Atlanta, Georgia. Each new creative element reflects not only the diverse topography and beauty of Aruba, but also offers a glimpse of the varied vacation experiences offered on the island. The television spot is scored to an original up-tempo song called "Rumba Aruba," written by local Aruban musician and three-time Grammy Award nominee, Hildward Croes.*
"Aruba is a unique place and we wanted to showcase its beauty and what sets our island apart from other Caribbean destinations," said Minister of Tourism and Transportation Edison Briesen. "We are confident that our new advertising campaign is our most dynamic yet and that it truly reflects the many unforgettable experiences Aruba offers its guests."
The 30-second television commercial includes a montage of beautiful scenery, water sports and relaxing moments. Aruba's new commercial can be downloaded and viewed at http://www.aruba.com/Rumba. Hildward Croes' original song, "Rumba Aruba," scores the TV spot that was produced by barton:holt in Los Angeles, California. The print portion is a celebration of color, unexpected typography and simple island imagery, and features a panorama of island life accentuated with bold color. Each ad carries a unique headline and signs off with copy that reads "This is Aruba. This is our home. And we want to share it with you."
According to Myrna Jansen, Managing Director for the Aruba Tourism Authority, "The energy of the music coupled with the images of the television ad and the bright, vibrant color of the print, you can't help but stop what you're doing and ask, 'where is that' and that is exactly what we wanted this campaign to do."
The fundamental philosophies behind the destination's new campaign are reinvigoration and rejuvenation. The island wanted to showcase its many sides to both previous and potential visitors. The campaign underscores all that Aruba offers for diverse travelers from jetsetters looking for fun and fast-paced activities to those wanting time to simply relax on the beach.
From a media investment standpoint, Aruba's campaign is concentrated in areas with high numbers of past Caribbean travelers. This includes Aruba's first-ever national television presence with a cable buy that spans a wide variety of popular American networks, including HGTV, Food Network, Travel Network, Bravo, Discovery, The History Channel, National Geographic and TLC. Travel and epicurean magazine presence continues to be an important piece of Aruba's media plan, this time with full page ads being complemented by two-page spreads, another first for the island. And given the Caribbean traveler's likelihood to use the internet for both researching and planning vacations, Aruba will have a heavy presence on travel-oriented Web sites including Expedia, Travelocity, Yahoo, Travel, Weather, Concierge, Fodors and Sidestep.
*In 1990, Hildward Croes was nominated for a Grammy Award as co-producer for Wilfrido Vargas' Animacion production in the category Tropical/Latin Music. In 2001, he was nominated for Best Merengue Album along with Chichi Peralta for his CD, De Vuelta al Barrio. In 2006 he was nominated for Best Tropical Contemporary Album for Chichi Peralta's, Mas Que Suficiente production
Aruba, where happiness lives, is truly a vacationer’s paradise. Located only two-and-a-half hours by air from Miami and four hours from New York City, the island is ideally situated outside the hurricane belt and boasts year-round cooling trade winds and perfect weather with average annual temperatures of 82 Fahrenheit and less than 20 inches of rainfall per year. Aruba serves up 27 luxurious hotels/resorts, championship golf courses, sumptuous spas, vibrant casinos, extraordinary international cuisine, exclusive shops and boutiques, exciting land and water activities, unique cultural to-dos, world-famous music festivals and events and more. The backdrop of a pristine tropical escape coupled with the unforgettable hospitality of the islands people keep Aruba's first-time guests delighted and its repeat visitor rate at 40%, the highest of any Caribbean destination. For more information on planning a trip to Aruba, contact the Aruba Tourism Authority visit www.aruba.com.
The U.S. State Department and the Department Homeland Security recently announced the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which will require all U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, to carry a passport or other accepted secure documents to enter or re-enter the U.S. from vacations or business travel anywhere in the Caribbean effective January 8, 2007. This requirement is applied to all air and sea travel. The Aruba Tourism Authority, in an effort to assist its valued visitors, strongly encourages all travelers to apply for their passports and advises all travelers to allow six to eight weeks to process U.S. passport applications in anticipation of their vacations to Aruba, where happiness lives. For more information on the new U.S. passport initiative, please visit www.travel.state.gov.
