SENIOR travel industry bosses and advertising
executives have attacked the multi-million television campaign from the British
Tourist Authority claiming it left them “embarrassed” to be British.
The campaign featuring British clichés with a twist –
such as Wellington-boot hurling and a man in a bowler hat in a field of
sunflowers – was launched overseas earlier this month as part of the BTA’s Only
in Britain campaign to attract an extra one million visitors.
But delegates at a Chartered Institute of Marketing
Travel Industry Group Television Advertising Showcase laughed as the advert was
shown, in particular when Tony Blair appeared “as an afterthought” at the end.
Dave Waters, creative director of London-based ad
agency Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters, said: “It’s embarrassing to be British,
this makes us look like village idiots. It’s old fashioned, out of touch and
putting Tony Blair at the end is just horrible.”
Club 18-30 managing director Andy Tidy said it was
awful.
British Airways director of marketing Martin George
said: “If I was Tony Blair, I would be deeply offended.”
However, Canadian-born Travel Deals Direct commercial
director Gary Wardrope dismissed the ridicule. He said: “Tony Blair is a hero
after September 11. It will work.”
BTA chief executive Richard Tobias said: “It’s not
aimed at the British or advertising executives, but at visitors who have never
been to Britain before.”
British Airways’ It’s Better to be There TV campaign,
launched in January, did not escape unscathed. Amanda Walsh, chief
executive of London-based advertising agency Walsh
Trott Chick Smith, said the adverts left her feeling “very cold” and made BA
appear “smug”.
BA’s George countered: “The industry and BA were in
dire straits when we launched this advert in January. This was the most basic
way of getting people flying again.”
Eurostar’s advert featuring
pop diva Kylie Minogue was heralded as the best travel TV campaign out of the
16 that were shown.