Step into the captivating world of Linz, Austria, a city that defies conventions and embraces its unique character. Today, we embark on a journey to explore the creative process behind Linz's provocative tourism video Linz is Linz, a captivating masterpiece that won the prestigious title of World's Best Tourism Film, securing a remarkable third place in the Tourism Cities category.
Linz, a city without bells and whistles, boldly showcases its authenticity and refuses to conform to traditional stereotypes. Honest, courageous, and unapologetically old-fashioned, this vibrant city on the Danube stands apart from the rest. Linz is Linz, and it revels in its individuality.
In this captivating case study, we will unravel the story behind the tourism video produced by FORAFILM for Linz Tourism. From the initial ideas to the strategy and goals, we'll explore the challenges encountered and the remarkable results achieved.
Are you ready to immerse yourself in the world of Linz? Read the case study and prepare to be captivated by a city that embraces its true self!
Watch now Linz is Linz
From Idea To Reality – The Creative Process
Spotless tourism advertising often has little to do with reality. The Linz Tourism Board wanted to set a clear counterpoint to this. The first step was to conduct research in Linz: interviews with passers-by revealed opinions, prejudices, and perspectives of the city. These statements formed the basis for the script of the “Linz is Linz” campaign video. The idea was to show what the city is really like: honest, lively, lovable, with rough edges but open people. Bravery, humor, honesty, and self-irony were the cornerstones on which the campaign was built. High-quality camera movements, the mix of trashy and documentary shots, different formats, the pace, and the modern editing of the video support the authentic, self-critical, and humorous content.
The Goals and Strategies
The goal of the "Linz is Linz" campaign was to generate attention for the city and further increase the number of overnight stays. The video aimed to support the image that the city has built up since the Capital of Culture year 2009. Linz should be told as a modern, changed, and authentic city, and not only with beautiful impressions and perfect moments.
The campaign should trigger a public discussion and encourage people to actively engage with the city. Strengths and weaknesses of the destination should be discussed and viewed from different points of view. The community was actively invited to show its opinion. This raised awareness and positioned Linz as an attractive destination because it is authentic.
Behind the scenes - Linz is Linz
The Challenges
At the restart after the Corona-related breakdown of the tourism industry, advertising pressure grew enormously. Destinations fought for attention and guests with big budgets and diverse tourism campaigns. In order to make Linz stand out as an attractive destination during this time, a campaign had to be created that would stand out strongly from others.
The chosen approach of tourism promotion with the Linz-is-Linz video was a brave step into a new kind of destination marketing. It was an unusual way to use honesty and self-irony, rather than perfect film footage, as promotional material. Picking up on the city's strengths as well as its weaknesses while still positioning Linz as an attractive destination was a delicate balancing act.
The Results
Shortly after its release, the Linz-is-Linz video went viral and reached thousands of people. Provocative and self-aware, the campaign triggered discussions and extensive media coverage in the German region, generating outstanding organic reach that was boosted by the paid advertising media: At the end of the campaign, over 8,700,000 impressions, 34,544 likes and over 5,000 predominantly positive comments were measured throughout the various channels. Numerous international awards for the video followed. The goal of generating attention for the city and further generating overnight stays was thus achieved. Since the campaign was released, the number of overnight stays has developed well.
“Our brave and unusual concept worked. The film is effective even because it shows Linz as it is. Unadorned, edgy, real. Convincing both the audience and the experts.” Sinisa Vidovic, FORAFILM
