British tourism initiatives are more usually fronted by international celebrities such as Hugh Grant and Sean Connery, but now the country’s premier is getting in on the act as well. Prime Minister Tony Blair puts in an appearance in commercials promoting the UK which will be screened on US TV this weekend.
The ads, which have eschewed traditional icons such as the Royal Family in favour of “quintessentially British” qualities and humour, show Wellington boots raining down on a black cab, knights in full armour playing tennis and a man wearing a bowler hat submerged in a flower-filled landscape. They close with a shot of a smiling Blair uttering the pared down greeting: “Welcome”.
British Tourist Authority chairman Davis Quarmby said: “We wanted to capture the imagination of the prospective visitors with a distinctive and humorous reminder of Britain’s diversity and cultural heritage.”
It is hoped that the £25 million promotional drive, of which the £7-million campaign is part, will help counter the effects of the country’s recent foot and mouth problems and the terrorist attacks on the US.
Mr Blair will not appear in the European element of the TV campaign which is called “Only In Britain. Only In 2002”, but the prime minister’s support of George Bush in the wake of September 11 has boosted his popularity in the States.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
