News

Chicago-based ad agency VML have unveiled the first video elements of a new campaign to promote Panama around the world and it has a surprising twist. The tagline for the campaign touts Panama as a destination “not for tourists.”

In essence, the campaign, which primarily focuses on Panama’s interior, promotes the idea that Panama is a great destination for serious travelers, more than the typical tourist.

The campaign’s counter-intuitive approach is already attracting attention. “Forget all that drivel that too often passes for tourism advertising these days,” the Chicago Business Journal writes. “The VML Chicago ad agency has boldly gone in an entirely different direction in concocting a new, uh, tourism campaign” for Panama.

VML was hired earlier this year as part of a two-year $20 million agreement to promote Panama in North America and Europe. Clearly, they are trying to attract travelers who want to do more than sit by the pool, which is one of the biggest growth sectors in travel.

Recent studies show more and more travelers—especially younger travelers–are looking for experiences more than simply visiting destinations.

The new campaign represents “an interesting approach and one that also reflects the way that travel advertising is changing,” Creativity writes online. “If you’re someone who doesn’t fit into the ‘tourist’ stereotype, this will definitely appeal.”

Here are examples: