Felicity Long
Sometimes having iconic images associated with your brand is
wonderful, but other times it can slow you down. In the case of
Holland, for example, tulips, windmills, wooden shoes and giant wheels
of Gouda cheese are mental snapshots that will be forever linked with
the destination, no matter how outdated some of them are.
As a result, the country is perceived by many North Americans as quaint, Old World, and stuck in time.
This
year, the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions, KLM Royal
Dutch Airlines, Amsterdam Marketing and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol are
looking to shake up that image by convincing potential visitors that the
country is not only hip but ahead of the trendiness curve.
The
new, multiyear “Holland. The Original Cool” campaign focuses on aspects
of Dutch life that have been part of the national ethos for decades but
are only now gaining traction in the mainstream U.S. The concepts of
commuting via bicycle, for example, buying organic produce at farmers’
markets and dressing in vintage chic from urban boutiques are the
essence of hipsterdom on this side of the Atlantic but long-entrenched
into the fabric of Netherlands culture.
To help get the word out,
the Board of Tourism created www.holland.com/cool, which uses video and
blogs to enliven an online tour of the country, starting with Amsterdam.
Yes, the city is marking the 400th anniversary of its canals this year,
as well as the highly publicized reopening of the Rijksmuseum, events
that smack more of history than coolness, but the campaign jazzes up the
promotion by focusing on the ancillary nightlife, eco-consciousness and
avant-garde attitude of locals toward their city.
Celebrity guide Pim
de Koel, who narrates the video, sums up the
campaign concept with comments like: “You call it organic and
artisanal, we just call it food.”
“The best place to start
discovering why Holland is the original cool is with a visit to
Amsterdam in 2013,” said Rosina Shiliwala, the North America director
for the Board of Tourism. “Together with our partners and a little help
from Pim de Koel,
"Americans are sure to learn something new about
Holland and be inspired to check out just how cool it is.”