The Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT) unveiled a new advertising campaign in Canada and the US this month, featuring a custom-designed alphabet and five suggestive words: Balance, Thrill, Recharge, Alive and Connect.
“Only the Essentials” reintroduces travellers to Costa Rica’s brand and experience promise by reconnecting them with nature, each other and even themselves. The unique approach to traditional tourism advertising helps define experiences only available in Costa Rica and what today’s consumers really need.
In 2018, a study conducted by TravelStyles demonstrated that Costa Rica’s target audience understands the experiences that the destination offers across culture, adventure and wellness. The study also identified a central attitude amongst them, with nearly 80% of survey respondents agreeing that they have adopted more of a “live for today” attitude in recent years.
In developing “Only the Essentials,” the ICT understood that they did not need to again show the activities that the destination offers, but instead needed to convince travellers why they need Costa Rica now, more than ever.
Canadians and Americans are among the busiest people in the world, and as a result, they have lost touch with some of the simpler, most essential things that bind human beings and bring contentment. “Only the Essentials” connects with consumers on an emotional level and answers a social and cultural need to revert back to life’s essentials, such as nature, mindfulness, joy and human interaction. It is an authentic and inspiring campaign that reaches today’s digital natives who seek deeper connections through travel.
The new campaign is both an extension and evolution of the country brand, “Essential Costa Rica,” which was conceived in 2013 to promote the country’s many offerings and to give Costa Rica a competitive edge over other destinations, bringing its values of excellence, sustainability, innovation, social progress and origin to the world.
The new advertising campaign sparks curiosity and discovery of what life’s essentials are. Its tagline, “Life’s Essentials Found Here,” summarizes the idea that only Costa Rica can provide experiences that reconnect us with life’s essentials.
María Amalia Revelo, Costa Rica’s minister of tourism, observed: “Only the Essentials is very relevant for today’s consumers because it addresses a social need to reconnect with nature and one another, and to take notice of the important things around us, which we believe Costa Rica makes possible.”
And the minister added: “The campaign elements give the sensation of being in nature and take consumers from urban jungles to the actual jungles of Costa Rica.”
