Serbia ads hit CNN
Kalemegdan, Photo by Damir Cvetojevic
Serbia tourist advertisement on CNN
Belgrade tourist commercial on CNN
One more with images from Belgrade, and two more with some clips including Exit and Guca
Honestly, it looks pretty boring and unimaginative. Lots of static pictures, not enough life and it doesn’t really strike you as something to remember. Hopefully we’ll get some odd naive tourist that falls for this kind of advertisement.
official statement regarding videos from Ministry of tourism :
“We would like to inform you with pleasure that the advertising video clip that promotes the tourist offer of Serbia will firstly appear on Wednesday, 10th January 2007, at 06:40 GMT on CNN TODAY. The advertasing campaign which contains two different video clips, each lasting 40 seconds, will be presented over four months and video clips on the other side 507 times. In January video clips on CNN TODAY will be presented 107 times.”
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I think that they should have done a better job at this. The videos are no catchy, I mean you are lfet cold hearted when you see them.
Actually I found the video nice, nice motives and pictures, the music was as it should, ethnic motives with modern beats. The video is ok and I’m satisfied with it.
What’s missing in the videos is the story, and some script, something more than just a slogan.
But ok, every beginning is difficult, next videos must be better than this. First, let’s see what kind of impact will these two videos have.
I’m not taken aback either but this is only the first advert.
This slightly bland (or souless) beginning might be a positive on some level. The primary aim at this stage is probably to neutralise the western mindset concerning Serbia and war.
However, if that is the case, I dont think the conservative reasoning is necessarily correct – that people wont want to travel to a country recently affected by war – (although perhaps people might be fearful of a country they believe to be full of warmongers).
I really hope the next couple of adverts are good. It is not that difficult a task. Identify your target audience and concentrate on not more than 5 or 6 themes to attract them with. The trick is not to include too many themes or the campaign will be too clutered.
These ads are OK when viewed as a whole – the impression all of them give together, that is. However, I would have preferred different beginnings on the two that show where Serbia is on the globe. The way it narrows in on Serbia there, with the longitude and latitude lines is so reminiscent of what we saw during the bombing days, it feels quite creepy. But maybe they wanted to make that connection, who knows?!
It looks to me that in a couple of the clips they show Gracanica, and if I’m right about that, then more power to the people who made those clips for including a sacred symbol of that part of Serbia that so many would take away – Kosovo.
Having just got back from Belgrade I change my earlier view and agree that ads targeting the rest of Europe would be a better investment. I don’t think Belgrade is ready for an influx of American tourists.
Blackbird, be careful about what you wish, because it was actually CNN who made the videos from the material they got from Serbia:)
The big debate these days in Serbia is that somebody found out one of the churches or monasteries on one of the videos is actually on Romanian territory…
Anthony, why do you think Belgrade is not ready for Americans yet?
p.s. Sorry i couldn’t make it to meet you while you were here.
Hey Viktor, no worries. The reason I think that is because generally North Americans like easy travel and at times I found traveling around Serbia quite difficult. Like the time in Novi Sad when at the bus station I asked the ticket lady, in Serbian if she spoke English and her response was to walk away from her desk and leave me standing there. I think to attract North American tourists the customer service level has to come way up. Also don’t expect many North American tourists to learn the Cyrillic alphabet. I’m so glad I did because it was HUGE in helping me get around Belgrade but without that knowledge getting around would have been a nightmare. I’m not saying that North American tourists won’t enjoy themselves in Serbia but I do agree that the money could be better spent on attracting more tourists from countries that already visit.
If you ask me, even though I found the CNN video not so bad, honestly, this one would much much better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBRE7sTBvVU
I know I may be seen as some what of a “loose-canon” or a “risky” individual and not to be trusted much but, I do have a bit of experience in this matter.
I say this because after my initial firing (loss of my job); in the R/S and Serbia every time I returned I was always introduced as a “tourist” by friends. I tended not to like this because I felt bad. I felt bad because I was always around villagers who lived off what they had…meaning not much!
I felt that they would judge me.
The thing is, not a one did. In fact, I was treated with great respect by everyone. They shared their food, rakija and beds without hesitation. Some even thanked me for returning on my own free will as a trouist rather than being some American in country working for SFOR or the UN. Looking back on it all I can say I can now understand what they meant.
For the record I totally disagree with Anthony on this subject. Americans for the most part have lost their view of Serbia and war. Sadly, Iraq and the Middle East have taken over this thought process. The war in Serbia and Bosnia was so much of a different war than what is going on now. You would be surprised how much of the “Balkan” war has been forgotten about by Americans and other Westerners. I was back home a few months ago and no one I knew could tell me anything about Serbia, Bosnia or the R/S. Much less the war there.
I have not yet seen these videos on CNN. I do have access to CNN and will keep an eye out.
I know this isn’t the most popular (politically correct) view point at the moment but, being that the world is engaged in a war against Islam…the war in the Balkans has almost been forgotten about by everyone except by those who were personally involved.
Have a good night,
John
Well, I guess I will not be viewing these clips after all:( I only have access to CNN through AFN (Armed Forces Network)...the worst programing on the planet! For a few moments I thought I was back in the real world:)
AFN does their own comercials and blocks what the average citizen would see in their respective homes. It has something to do with getting the service for free I think. So the only comercials I will see are the ones AFN have made.
Kind of sucks but…Jebiga!
Cvijus,
I was under the impression that the video you cited was one of several that would be shown on CNN. I guess I misunderstood. I like that one better, too.
John,
It’s good to have you throw your opinions into the mix. You have a unique and important perspective.
As I understood, CNN themselves produced these two videos. OK, as I said I found them ok, but looking at the one of Macedonia, I realized that we have been fooled.
CNN really produced these two videos, it means that we are able to produce better ones (the link I gave above).
Hi I across only to say hello.
Xico Rocha
The video Cvijus posted is fantastic.
Otherwise I agree with Viktor and Ivan. It’s very bland; there’s nothing compelling enough, I think, to make people want to travel a great distance.
If we consider the outstanding tradition of the film- and multimedia-industry in Yugoslavia, then this collection of pictures (it is NOT a film) is a shame for the Government. Each first semester student can do a better job. – The film lacks vision, emotion, action, plot, MESSAGE and weblink. Like the Serbian Government. – insofar it is copy of the Serbian reality and AUTHENTIC. hvala Bogu. – They just missed the guy selling on Friday (day before Sveti Sava) at the putarina the orthodox calender, a guy fully robbed in the Serbian flag. – If somebody plans to make a ALTERNATIVE film on Serbia, I have 60 pictures and stories ready, collected in the last 11 years from Vojvodia and Beograd. I deliver plot and text and location where to film, YOU have to organise the camera. Aid’ na posao.
I was in Serbia, and it’s very nice and interesting….
But this spot does not reflects that.
But after all that bad reputation in last 10 years it’s a good start.
As an American, this seems like a typical tourist ad. Not great, not terrible. They always show a lot of landscapes & buildings in those types of ads. What they could possibly do is show more people, that will romanticize it more. Showing couples holding hands or a group of young people laughing might make it easier for people to picture going there. Oh, and also showing FOOD upclose. Yummy food will get people travelling there. Shopping is another draw too. They should show places to shop. They should have a story, where maybe they follow the same people around, with up close shots of them looking happy. They need to get an emotional response.
They should also focus on one major aspect Serbia can be known for; the one big thing that separates Serbia & makes it special. Quite honestly, most Americans don’t know much about Serbia at all right now.
I had a conversation with a co-worker about some other country a person we both knew was visiting. We both looked at each other and said “what is there?” and “what is that country known for anyway?”. We couldn’t think of anything. I’m sure it has many things, but it had nothing specific linked with it. I wouldnt spend a lot of money to travel there specifically, that’s for sure.
So yeah, these videos aren’t very compelling…