Istanbul Place Branding
This campaign promotes Istanbul as a vacation destination by encouraging young travelers to discover the Istanbul version of their typical routines and average vacations to see how "Istanbul does it better." Research revealed that Istanbul is a lively city with a modern yet culturally influenced nightlife scene perfect for urban adventurers. This place branding campaign comes to life with cocktail-inspired ads and an augmented reality app to inspire a sense of celebration and reflect the cultural fusion that is Istanbul.
"Raise your glass to a city so rich with culture that every sip has its own unique flavor. Come to a place where you can celebrate the excitement of trying something new.
Istanbul has been aged and refined, thousands of years in the making. Itʼs a blend of the sweetest notes of Europe and the tang of Asia, where you can experience the best the world has to offer.
Hereʼs to having the time of your life. Itʼs time to experience what Istanbul has in store for you. Itʼs time to go on more than a vacation. Itʼs time to go on an adventure. Go online to plan yours today."
"Take a sip of a culture so bold and refreshing it rivals your favorite martini. Come to a place where you can watch the sun come up surrounded by the vibrant blues of the city lights.
Istanbul is a cultural cocktail of daring attractions and exciting experiences. Itʼs an urban adventure, where the nightlife fuses ancient tradition with modern zest for a uniquely intoxicating vacation.
Hereʼs to taking a drink of liquid courage and going somewhere new. Itʼs time to let loose, time to take a break. Itʼs time to go on more than a vacation. Itʼs time to go on an adventure. Go online to plan yours today."
When a user Shares a photo, it is posted to Facebook or Instagram (the platform is up to the user) and a hashtag #istanbuldoesitbetter will be automatically posted with the picture, along with the hashtag for the app #istanbulit and a link to the microsite istanbulit.com.
An Instagram feed, @Istanbul_It, will post a daily user-generated app capture with the hashtags for a two week period and credit the user who posted it originally. Istanbul It will also have a Facebook page that posts the same daily photo for the same length of time, each post having the hashtags. In the about sections, there will be links to istanbulit.com and goturkey.com.
The online portion of this campaign is based around an augmented reality app for iPhone and Android devices called Istanbul It. This app allows users to virtually transform their surroundings into Istanbul to prove that “Istanbul does it better.”
An online ad will promote the app. The animated skyscraper ad will show an unattractive man dancing on the beach, turning into a belly dancer in Istanbul when scrolled over. The ad will read “Choose your vacation wisely” at the top, with the hashtag #istanbuldoesitbetter appearing when scrolled over, and will send users to the microsite when clicked on. This ad will appear on related travel and vacationing sites.
The app will allow users to hold their phone up to what they are seeing to experience an Istanbul version of their surroundings . Users can then capture the image using the capture button at the bottom of the screen, and using the menu button at the top left, Share their capture and See More captures like theirs.
The direct mail package is a faux photo envelope, containing a series of photos of someone else’s adventurous Istanbul vacation along with the letter, camera, photo challenge, and return address labels.
This letter is enclosed in the direct mail package.
"Istanbul is the up-and-coming destination for adventurers like yourself. For a limited time, you can book your trip to Istanbul through goturkey.com and get 30% off your airline tickets for the vacation you really want.
We also want you to let us know what adventures you have. So weʼve given you your own disposable camera and a photo challenge to use when you get here. Not into disposable cameras? Thatʼs cool too. Just download our app Istanbul It and follow us on Instagram @Istan-bul_It
Complete the challenge, send in your photos, and be entered to win a free trip to Istanbul*, because we know youʼll want to come back."
A television commercial supplements the print and digital campaigns, using humor and related imagery and language to tie the campaign together.