Ecuador Ministry of Transport: Blind Trip
The Ecuador Ministry of Tourism faced the challenge of affluent citizens consistently choosing international vacations over local options. They aimed to persuade Ecuadorian travelers, who typically vacationed abroad, to discover and appreciate their own country's stunning destinations, thereby boosting domestic tourism and national pride.
Creative Idea
They tricked travelers into experiencing Ecuador's beauty, believing they were abroad.
Ecuador's Ministry of Tourism tricked citizens who only vacationed abroad into a "blind trip" to a fake Costa Rican destination. After a simulated international flight, passengers landed in a stunning local Ecuadorian spot, revealing hidden domestic beauty and proving paradise was at home.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Ecuador Ministry of Tourism could credibly promote domestic travel, possessing stunning, yet overlooked, local destinations.
Category
The tourism category often glamorized exotic international destinations, making domestic travel seem less appealing or prestigious to locals.
Customer
Ecuadorian travelers sought exotic, high-status vacation experiences, believing these were only found abroad, thus overlooking their own country's beauty.
Culture
A cultural aspiration for international travel and its perceived prestige made locals overlook the beauty and value of domestic destinations.
Company
Ecuador Ministry of Tourism could credibly promote domestic travel, possessing stunning, yet overlooked, local destinations.
Category
The tourism category often glamorized exotic international destinations, making domestic travel seem less appealing or prestigious to locals.
Strategy:
Reframe domestic travel as exotic and prestigious by proving Ecuador's hidden gems rival international destinations.
Customer
Ecuadorian travelers sought exotic, high-status vacation experiences, believing these were only found abroad, thus overlooking their own country's beauty.
Culture
A cultural aspiration for international travel and its perceived prestige made locals overlook the beauty and value of domestic destinations.
Strategy:
Reframe domestic travel as exotic and prestigious by proving Ecuador's hidden gems rival international destinations.
Strategy Technique
Flip the Conventional Wisdom
The campaign directly challenged the common belief that only international travel offered exotic experiences. By revealing local beauty as "abroad," it flipped the perception that paradise must be far away.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Prank
The campaign deliberately tricked travelers into believing they were going abroad. This prank created a powerful, surprising reveal of Ecuador's domestic beauty, challenging their preconceived notions.
Explore Technique
