Aruba Shines in Island’s New Advertising Campaign

Three-Time Grammy Award Nominee & Native Aruban Pens Hit Song, Rumba Aruba, for New Campaign

The Aruba Tourism Authority announced the launch of its new national advertising campaign in the United States. The campaign, an investment of over $4.3 million for the destination, consists of 30-second television spots, magazine, newspaper and Internet advertising. The creative and media are handled by the destination’s advertising firm, Fitzgerald+CO in Atlanta, Georgia. Each new creative element reflects not only the diverse topography and beauty of Aruba, but also offers a glimpse of the varied vacation experiences offered on the island. The television spot is scored to an original up-tempo song called “Rumba Aruba,” written by local Aruban musician and three-time Grammy Award nominee, Hildward Croes.*

“Aruba is a unique place and we wanted to showcase its beauty and what sets our island apart from other Caribbean destinations,” said Minister of Tourism and Transportation Edison Briesen. “We are confident that our new advertising campaign is our most dynamic yet and that it truly reflects the many unforgettable experiences Aruba offers its guests.”

The 30-second television commercial includes a montage of beautiful scenery, water sports and relaxing moments. Aruba’s new commercial can be downloaded and viewed at http://www.aruba.com/Rumba. Hildward Croes’ original song, “Rumba Aruba,” scores the TV spot that was produced by barton:holt in Los Angeles, California. The print portion is a celebration of color, unexpected typography and simple island imagery, and features a panorama of island life accentuated with bold color. Each ad carries a unique headline and signs off with copy that reads “This is Aruba. This is our home. And we want to share it with you.”

According to Myrna Jansen, Managing Director for the Aruba Tourism Authority, “The energy of the music coupled with the images of the television ad and the bright, vibrant color of the print, you can’t help but stop what you’re doing and ask, ‘where is that’ and that is exactly what we wanted this campaign to do.”

The fundamental philosophies behind the destination’s new campaign are reinvigoration and rejuvenation. The island wanted to showcase its many sides to both previous and potential visitors. The campaign underscores all that Aruba offers for diverse travelers from jetsetters looking for fun and fast-paced activities to those wanting time to simply relax on the beach.

From a media investment standpoint, Aruba’s campaign is concentrated in areas with high numbers of past Caribbean travelers. This includes Aruba’s first-ever national television presence with a cable buy that spans a wide variety of popular American networks, including HGTV, Food Network, Travel Network, Bravo, Discovery, The History Channel, National Geographic and TLC. Travel and epicurean magazine presence continues to be an important piece of Aruba’s media plan, this time with full page ads being complemented by two-page spreads, another first for the island. And given the Caribbean traveler’s likelihood to use the internet for both researching and planning vacations, Aruba will have a heavy presence on travel-oriented Web sites including Expedia, Travelocity, Yahoo, Travel, Weather, Concierge, Fodors and Sidestep.