SAN FRANCISCO -- The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is
launching an expanded version of its multimillion-dollar "See You
in Pacific Asia" promotional campaign with a cross-promotional
partnership with Warner Brothers' films "Kangaroo Jack" and "The
Last Samurai."
More than 4 million copies of the "Kangaroo Jack" video will be
sold with fliers promoting the "Kangaroo Jack/See You in Pacific
Asia 2003 Sweepstakes." The video will be released June 10.
The campaign is designed to remind "U.S. consumers and travel
agents of the great opportunities for travel to the region," said
PATA's consumer marketing advisor Paul Cohen. "We want to promote
awareness of travel opportunities and to show how easy travel to
the region has become."
The campaign, designed "to brand the region and promote travel,"
will continue with the theatrical release in December of "The Last
Samurai," starring Tom Cruise.
See You in Pacific Asia 2003 is a continuation of a campaign
that originally was planned for September 2001, but was postponed
until February 2002 after the 9/11 attacks. The campaign was
revived for a second round from September through November
2002.
The campaign now will have a third go-round. According to Cohen,
the promotion is expanding to include marketing partnerships,
e-mail, direct marketing and a redesigned Web site at www.seeyouinpacificasia.com/2003.
Although the SARS scare is putting a crimp on travel to Asia in
April, Cohen said the campaign will remain on track.
"Most of this doesn't launch until fall," he said. "We think
SARS will be a nonissue by then."
The campaign is directed at both consumers and agents and will
include direct-mail brochures for agents to give clients. Most of
the campaign will launch in the fall, including a 32-page
supplement that will be published in a number of consumer and trade
magazines. It also will include e-mail blasts to agents and
consumers and promotions with Travelocity and Yahoo.
The campaign targets mature and affluent travelers in Los
Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
An agent referral system will be integrated into the Web site
this fall with a search engine through which consumers can find an
agent near them. The agent database is supplied by Northstar Travel
Media, TravelWeekly.com's parent company.
Through a partnership with MasterCard, a number of specially
priced tour packages, hotels and airlines are being marketed on the
Web site for MasterCard users. E-mail blasts will be sent to
MasterCard holders advertising the offers.
Pleasant Holidays and Pentax also are marketing partners in the
campaign.