Watch a video of the new ad campaign and its laid-back sloth star here.
The Costa Rica Tourism Board unveiled a new advertising campaign Thursday that aims to lure tourists in the United States and Canada to the isthmus by giving away $1 million worth of vacation packages.
The campaign, called “Costa Rica’s Million Dollar Gift of Happiness” features an anthropomorphic, easy-going sloths peddling the chance to win one of five different “happiness”-themed tours. Hopefuls can enter by registering on Visit Costa Rica’s Facebook page. The contest runs through February 5, 2012. Tour themes are romance, adventure travel, wildlife and nature, extreme sports or cultural activities.
The campaign is the largest advertising campaign by the Costa Rican Tourism Board aimed specifically at North Americans in 16 years, according to a statement from the tourism board. The organization’s goal is to increase the numbers of annual visitors to Costa Rica by five percent. The campaign was headed by Atlanta-based advertising agency 22Squared. The tourism board contracted the company in January to produce the ad drive.
“Costa Rica has long embraced American and Canadian visitors with open arms,” said Costa Rica Tourism Minister, Allan Flores. “Sharing our country with others is one of the things that make Costa Ricans most happy, and this campaign will demonstrate that we really mean it when we say it.”
In 2010, an estimated 2,099,829 tourists came to Costa Rica, the highest recorded number in history,
