Serbia starts advertising on CNN in couple of days and the video commercials are ready. (update: videos started rolling on CNN )
When asked what the videos look like, the secretary of tourism Bojan Dimitrijevic said that he hasn’t seen them yet, but that they got to be good. Am i the only person who finds this amusing – the freaking secretary of tourism hasn’t yet seen the commercials that are approved to be broadcasted on CNN?
Well I’ve seen the advertisement for Belgrade today on the news and i have to say that they look better than Montenegro ad, but still far below the quality of, say, Malaysia ad.
Still, considering that we will pay half a million $ for CNN to play this video more than 500 times in the next four months i’d say that this is a good deal. The production costs of the commercials is still a mistery though. For example, Australians invested more than 180 million dollars in their campaign, but still failed to increase the number of tourists. Let’s hope that we will have more success, particulary because we start practically from zero, so the number of tourists can’t really decrease, as the case was with Aussies.
Some words of wisdom coming again from our tourism chief: CNN knows who we are even better than we do so i wouldn’t worry about a thing.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, I’ve noticed his wisdom, and thought it’s really bearable that SPO will not be in the next government
In 2004, I encountered my first-ever organised international tour group sightseeing in Belgrade. It was a group of American pensioners on a stop during their boat trip down the Danube (up the Danube? not sure), we chatted a while, and they were surprised to be so delighted. I think their sightseeing was a little limited (Knez Miki and Kališ), but it was a short visit and they didnt seem to mind.
Since then I find tourists pretty often. My favorite encounter was at the train station — there was a group of stranded music students from Greece who had missed their train, and my student’s train from Romania was late. I was there with my dog, and I think he got some kind of snack from every one of the Greek students.
Aside from the obvious banje and skiing, there is a lot that could attract people out of the cities and through the country. Borrowing a slogan from (I think) the Albanian tourism board, there is a lot of appeal to “Europe as it used to be.”
Money…money…money… 500,000 dollars? Nothing bad on Serbia but, its a shame this amount of money is being spent on CNN when it could be used for something needed much more. Sad really! Oh well.
John, i would say investing, not spending – this is not money giveaway but i suppose that we expect to recieve more money than half a mill by attracting tourists here.
There are always better ways to spend money, but this doesn’t seem like a lot of money considering potential gain. He who dares wins.
“CNN knows who we are even better than we do so i wouldn’t worry about a thing.”
!!??
What does this objectionable statement mean? And why choose CNN, of all networks, to broadcast these commercials? CNN has played a huge role in demonizing Serbia for years.
That aside, I think a campaign promoting Serbia is about 20 years overdue, at least. I have been arguing for some PR by the Serbian government for donkeys years and, as usual, when they finally come through it’s far too late to have benefitted Serbia at the time Serbia needed it most. The world definitely needs some education about Serbia and even if this is a tourism promotion it’s a step in that direction.
Bosnia is doing the same, they are advertising on CNN.
Not a big deal if you ask me.
I watch CNN regularly every day and I have yet to see 1 Bosnian/Serbian commercial.
You guys probably advertise 3am in the morning when America/Canada sleeps.
Daniel, why are you so pesimistic?
“He who dares wins!” I like this statment and believe it’s truth! Then why have I gotten fat and soft over the years on this contract. God I’ve got to get out of here, for I have yet to dare anything other than falling down drunk.
I’m on my way again, though! It’s sad I have to leave this place though given the “friends” I’ve made for life.
MONEY SUCKS!
John
Blackbird, i think CNN was a logical choice, being that 1. it has a large audience and 2. exactly because they can make good propaganda as well as bad propaganda. Let’s try the first one this time, why not?
As for the minister’s words of wisdom, i can’t really help you with that because i am not really sure what he tried to say, maybe he isn’t sure himself, he did seem pretty confused.
Daniel, can we see those Bosnia ads somewhere? Serbia ads have yet to broadcast in couple of days, that’s why you haven’t seen them yet. Montenegro ads did some good i think, they claim to have already sold out their hotels for next season. But maybe the new James Bond movie also had something to do with it. Now that’s some good propaganda – and it isn’t even filmed in Montenegro!
John, take it easy man, don’t let your job get to you!
Has anyone seen this commercial on CNN yet? I haven’t.
maybe with yahoo messenger
I haven’t still seen the commercial on CNN and i had bin watching.I seen it on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ppD7n2Is98.I hope you visit Serbia and see it at all of it`s natural beauty !