President Lula and the Tourism Minister Launch the 'Brazil Is Calling You!' Campaign in Johannesburg

JOHANNESBURG, July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Today in Johannesburg, a new international tourism campaign was launched: "Brazil is calling you! Celebrate life here. Brazil. Sensational!" It consists of television spots, print ads, social media programs and more, with the objective of inviting the world to visit the country before it becomes the host of major world sporting events. The goal is to excite, encourage and motivate travelers to take their business or leisure trips to Brazil. The campaign was prepared by the Tourism Ministry through EMBRATUR (Brazilian Tourism Institute) and will be seen on television and a newly launched YouTube page on July 12.

The new campaign is part of the Ministry of Tourism and EMBRATUR's strategy to increase international tourism in the country. The objective of the "Plano Aquarela 2020" – International Tourism Marketing plan, is a 300 percent growth of international tourism by doubling the number of foreign visitors throughout the next decade.

"This campaign is a huge step forward in the global positioning of Brazil as a tourist destination. We'll show the world what Brazil has better to offer to the tourist, like its diversity, its modernity, and especially the joy and the lifestyle of the Brazilian people," said Jeanine Pires, president of EMBRATUR.

During the launch of the campaign, which took place at Casa Brasil in Johannesburg, the movies "Apito Final" and "Sons do Brasil" – produced by Fernando Meirelles and directed by Rodrigo Meirelles – were presented. With Brazil as host of the World Cup and of the Olympic Games there is an opportunity for the Ministry of Tourism and EMBRATUR to increase the country's flow of foreign tourists while also increasing awareness of new Brazilian tourism destinations.

"These are bold actions for Brazil and this campaign represents the flavors and color of this great country," said Brazilian Minister of Tourism, Luiz Barretto.

The international "Brazil is calling you! Celebrate life here. Brazil. Sensational!"  tourism campaign will reach US$30 million by the end of 2010 and includes:

Television – After the closing of the World Cup, a 30 second commercial will air over the following two months by the TV broadcasters authorized by FIFA to transmit the games. The movie "Sons do Brasil" will also be presented by international broadcast stations (sports and news) and via YouTube. This will begin 10 weeks of media publicity with coverage in more than 100 countries, reaching more than 400 million people worldwide. The reach will include the Americas, Europe and Middle East Countries as well as Africa and Asia.

Foreign Media – Brazilian destinations are featured on panels at airports, in public transportation and outdoor billboards in 12 countries.

Printed Media – Advertisements will appear in newspapers and magazines in 27 countries.

Book "Brasil de todas as cores" (Brazil of all colors) – A brochure featuring the five Brazilian regions and highlighting the 12 World Cup host cities will include illustrations of the top tourism destinations in the country, as well as the images of artists, photographers and representatives of the Brazilian arts community.

YouTube – On July 12, the video will be part of YouTube's homepage, as well as YouTube's EMBRATUR channel (www.youtube.com/visitbrasil). The channel hosts more than 100 videos of Brazilian tourist destinations, statements given by celebrities and tourists who have visited the country, with content in more than 70 languages.

Web site "Selecao Brasileiras Cidades" (Brazilian Selection of the Cities) – The web site includes the profile, maps, photos and videos of the top tourism locations in the 12 host cities in 3 languages - Portuguese, English and Spanish.

Mobile Application – Information, maps and tourism tips for Brazilian cities can be accessed via mobile devices.  The application allows quick and easy access to information about the heritage, architecture, cultural attractions, open air attractions, leisure and shopping in Brazil. Furthermore, the guide provides photos and directions through Google Maps. Visitors can download the tool at home before their trip via mobile device at www.embratur.gov.br/mobile, via computer at www.braziltour.com/mobile, or at 10 of Brazil's airports.

Social Networks and Internet – EMBRATUR will have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare and Flickr to build relationships and communicate with tourists, tourism operators, travel agents and international journalists.

DVD "Panorama Brasil: Selecao Brasileira das Cidades" (Brazil Scenery: Brazilian Selection of the Cities) – This DVD provides scenery of the 12 cities that will host the World Cup in Brazil. Each one-minute clip includes illustrations of the cities and their main tourist attractions in conjunction with a four minute clip about Brazil.  

Foreign Media Circulation in South Africa – During the South African games, billboards were installed with pictures of Brazilian destinations at Johannesburg airports and main streets, as well as in Capetown, beside the Sandton Convention Centre building, headquarters of "Casa Brasil" in Johannesburg.

Promotional material for the 12 host cities – The objective is to keep the same visual identity used by EMBRATUR for the international promotion of Brazil. This is why publicity models were suggested for the host cities.   

About EMBRATUR

The mission of the Brazilian Tourism Board, EMBRATUR, is to promote Brazil in the international market as a destination for travelers. The Brazilian Federal Government and EMBRATUR have implemented the Aquarela Plan which calls for generating consumer awareness about Brazil and attracting more tourists.  The established target for the U.S. sector is increasing the annual numbers for tourists entering the country to 9 million, and attracting a total amount of $8 billion in revenue by 2010. There are nine EMBRATUR offices globally including Lisbon (Portugal), Paris (France), London (U.K.), Frankfurt (Germany), Madrid (Spain), Milan (Italy) and Tokyo (Japan).  There is also a Bureau for Tourism for Latin America, based at the EMBRATUR office, in the city of Brasilia. For more information visit http://www.brasilnetwork.tur.br and visit the Newsroom.

SOURCE EMBRATUR