Super Bowl 2015 Commercials: Ecuador Tries to Lure US Tourists With First Non-US Super Bowl Ad
Ecuador, the country led by Rafael Correa, a close ally of Venezuela's late Hugo Chavez and staunch critic of U.S. capitalism, will be the first foreign government to buy a Super Bowl commercial.
Fox News Latino reported the South American nation hopes to attract more American tourists, and its 30-second spot is part of a $4 million tourism campaign Ecuador has launched around the sporting event. The ad will air during halftime, when pop star Katy Perry is set to entertain the 100 million-plus watchers of the NFL championship.
Ecuadorean government officials "decided to make a big investment on the Super Bowl because they have goals for American tourism and ... want to increase it in the next few years," Maritza Huerta, assistant media director for BLJ Worldwide, said. Huerta's marketing firm has worked on the campaign.
"They knew the Super Bowl could put them on a global platform," she added.
Viewers will likely be treated to a montage of beautiful nature scenes from the country of 15.6 million, CNN reported. Background music may include the Beatles' classic "All You Need is Love," part of the country's "All You Need is Ecuador" campaign.
The spot is a regional buy and will air in major U.S. media markets, Adweek said. They include New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Washington, according to FNL.
According to CNN, recent efforts to increase the tourist flow to Ecuador have proven effective; the current campaign has led to a 14 percent increase in foreign arrivals, according to official government data.
"We believe we offer tourists a very unique experience," Nathalie Cely, Ecuador's ambassador to the United States, said in a statement. "Our small country offers travelers a large array of outdoor adventures -- from beautiful beaches on the Pacific Coast, to the Andes Mountains, to the Amazon Rainforest, to the Galapagos Islands. It's everything you need and all in one place."
Last year alone, some 260,000 Americans visited Ecuador, Huerta said.
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