Vilnius, with its host of traditional crafts, savory flavors, a heritage of Jewish history, and Old Town culture, is the perfect holiday destination. It is coined as the “G-spot of Europe” in a popular but controversial tourism marketing Campaign. The advertisement’s tagline reads “Nobody knows where it is but when you find it — it’s amazing.” This tag line comes with a picture of a woman with her eyes closed in sheer excitement as she tightly clutches the bed sheets printed with the map of Europe. In the other ad, you will see a man looking around and when he finally sees the view it’s amazing and he feels satisfied. Such ads are pleasant to see and hear but there are also many other perceptions on it from travelers around the world.
At first, this brazen, tongue in cheek campaign elicited mass outrage from the Popes of the Catholic country. The bishop of Vilnius criticized that the capital was being wrongly portrayed as a “sex tourism city” and “exploits the sexuality of women.”. Arturas Zuokas, the former Vilnius mayor censured the bold Idea of the campaign saying that “no one in the West is using sexist references in marketing anymore.”
Despite this proactive idea, the campaign accomplished its task and succeeded in attracting 210,000 tourists from around the world in only the first three months of 2018. The website featuring this advertisement vilniusgspot.com went viral over the Internet and social media.
The website featured attractive questions to “let’s get to know you just a bit more before getting down to business.” You could also “skip the foreplay” and browse through the pleasures of Vilnius from the Vilnius Street, C.C.Capwell Shop, Salt Concept Store, Aukso Avis Store, King & Mouse Whisky & Bar Shop, Gediminas Tower, Three Crosses Hill, and so many more attractive spots.
You can “use your tongue” at Delta Mityba Restaurant, Ice Dunes Ice Cream Boutique and even “get sweating” at Belmond Adventure Park or paddle through the Nerris River. The cultural heritage, festivals, and natural spots were captured on the site to let people know that this place was worth their time.
"Nobody knows where it is but when you find it -- it's amazing."
This bold marketing campaign also won the International Travel & Tourism Gold Award.
“International tourism is a highly competitive field where only a few manage to stand out,” Inga Romanovskiene, director of Go Vilnius, said in a brief announcement. This idea made headlines enticing curious adventurers from all over the world to explore this place.
The eye-catching theme of the campaign did provoke a mixed response but it also captured a lot of interest.
UK’s ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) also agreed that “some might find the ad distasteful… [it] did not objectify the female character.”
The campaign specifically aimed a millennial audience, and even though the language was suggestive, no kind of explicit imagery was used. It called for all types of the audience from bachelor parties, eager travelers and young couples to even mature, educated audiences who did not miss out on the alluring destination under the seemingly provocative idea.
