According to research conducted by VisitBritain in 20 overseas markets, nine out of ten people who are interested in visiting Britain would be keen to see film and TV locations as part of their trip. This learning has underpinned the organisation’s new campaign by Pablo called Starring Great Britain, which taps into the popularity of screen tourism (tourism that uses filming locations, sets and experiences as the main selling point).
The campaign lets the entertainment do the talking. The central ad has been directed by Tom Hooper, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind The King’s Speech and Les Misérables, who has dipped into the archive of entertainment shot in Britain to bring the idea to life. Clips from the likes of Succession, Bridget Jones and Spiderman have been spliced together with new shots of everyday people. There’s also a particularly enjoyable Mission Impossible and Paddington mash-up.
The ad will be joined by billboards and social media content in the “UK’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets” according to the organisation, namely Australia, the US, France, Germany, and the Gulf Co-operation Council (which includes nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE). A significantly less glossy supporting online hub features a digital map directing people to filming locations around England, Scotland and Wales.
More interesting than the film itself is seeing how a tourism board would advertise the nation. It reflects changing ideas around Britishness today, or rather what is – or what they hope will be – appealing about Britishness in the eyes of tourists. Less Royal Family, more acting royalty.
Although the focus of the campaign is boosting tourism, by showcasing these locations, Starring Great Britain is also advertising Britain’s entertainment industry, which has endured peaks and troughs in recent years, pinballing between an influx of investment around the pandemic and a dramatic downturn in the last couple of years. This seems to be a strategic effort rather than a happy accident, with the organisation having announced a partnership with the British Film Commission in 2023 to drive growth in both sectors.