US campaign to woo UK travellers

The United States of America has reportedly launched a USD6 million advertisement campaign designed to attract more travellers from the UK and to “dispel negative perceptions” of the country. According to The Times, the advertising agency M&C Saatchi has been hired to “exploit the popularity of US cinema, using famour movies to paint a Hollywood gloss over the negative news imagery of US troops in Iraq and the war on terror”. Television commercials will reportedly feature scenes from films including Chicago, Oklahoma! and Viva Las Vegas, as well as posters with stills from movies such as Thelma and Louise, using the catchphrase “you’ve seen the film – now visit the set”. The newspaper states that visits by Britons to the USA increased last year from 3.8 million to 3.9 million, with favourable exchange rates further booting those figures in recent months. The campaign will be launched on Sunday. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd