ON A photograph of the Banawe Rice Terraces – Going upstairs. More fun in the Philippines.
Over a picture of some outriggers between verdant rocky outcrops on a clear blue sea – Commuting. More fun in the Philippines.
On a snapshot of several bancas lined up on some white shore – Parking. More fun in the Philippines.
Brilliant is the Department of Tourism’s latest campaign to draw in more tourists to these shores. No matter the unoriginality: “It’s more fun in Switzerland” an ad copy, vintage 1951.
Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez taking time though to say it was pure coincidence: “The line isn’t a manufactured slogan. It’s simply the truth about our country… No one can own the expression ‘it’s more fun’ but it’s very true for the Philippines so it becomes ours.”
Ours – the Filipino people’s – the new slogan has indeed become. Exploding in cyberspace with just about everybody getting into the act of uploading his or her own idea of a spot or an event that makes the country more fun than anywhere else. A sampling:
Social climbing. More fun in the Philippines, on a silhouette of mountaineers atop a high ridge back dropped by white puffy clouds.
Status updates. More fun in the Philippines, on a diver swimming with a whale shark.
School. More fun in the Philippines, on yet another diver encircled by a school of fish.
Hidden agendas. More fun in the Philippines, on the Callao Caves in Cagayan.
Making a splash. More fun in the Philippines, on white water rafting.
Taking after his boss, Central Luzon Tourism Director Ronnie Tiotuico came out with his own collaterals. Two samples:
Flag ceremony. More fun in Clark, on a parachutist holding a giant Philippine flag.
Bird watching. More fun in Candaba, on costumed dancers at the town’s Ibon-Ebon Festival.
Everything is apparently falling into the DOT’s scheme of things there.
Says Jimenez: “Going viral is part of the strategy because (social networking) is where the Filipino people are dominant and we have to use this tremendous power in the Web.”
And in that process the DOT generating some savings that can be used to fund some other marketing campaigns.
Jimenez called “It’s more fun in the Philippines” – IMF-Philippines, for short – the most unusual campaign in Philippine history as it was planned to be a people’s campaign, one participated in by every Filipino. In effect, “turning ourselves into ambassadors of our own country.”
“It’s meant to become a voice for Philippine tourism and this would simply answer the basic question why tourists should come here and that is because it’s more fun in the Philippines,” Jimenez said.
More than the usual attractions of islands and beaches, mountains and old churches, Jimenez said “it’s the fun Filipino people that complete the Philippine tourism experience, it’s the people that differentiate us from other destinations.”
Same difference , to be oxymoronic, are some cynics’ take on the slogan. A sampling:
Carpooling. More fun in the Philippines, on an overloaded – hood, roof, runningboards and all – passenger jeepney in some rural area.
Commuting. More fun in the Philippines, on a pedestrian-choked, traffic-jammed city street.
The creativity of the Filipino being boundless, it will not take too long before the tourism collaterals get politicized.
And we shall find the following in the Web:
Chief Justice. More fun in the Philippines, over photographs of Corona’s alleged condos.
Ex-President. More fun in the Philippines, on the mugshots of GMA, neck brace, head strap and all.
Or – God forbid – even the morbid, as:
Journalism. More fun in the Philippines, on photographs of the Ampatuan massacre.
Got to stop there. This is not getting funny anymore.
It’s more fun in the Philippines. Bullish over the drawing power of that slogan, the Aquino government has projected 4.2 million foreign tourist arrivals for the year – up from last year’s 3.7 million – and 10 million by 2016.
Now, if only the Ninoy Aquino International Airport were not ranked the Worst Airport in the World…
