Turkey Launches Times Square Advertising Campaign

This summer Turkey is making a major push for tourism in New York City with two months of video images of Turkey from July 8 to Sept. 1, 2010, as well as New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Turkey’s videos are the first to appear on the new Sony/News Corporation 30-by-40-foot screen with the latest in big screen technology located at 43rd Street facing north.

They will also be shown on New Years’ Eve. The dynamic images range from fascinating, upscale experiences in Istanbul to millennia-old ruins and spectacular natural wonders throughout the country, showcasing Turkey as an eclectic destination with exciting cities, amazing historical landmarks and an attractive blend of tradition and modernity.

The Times Square ads will be shown 18 hours each day from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. to approximately 1.6 million New Yorkers and Times Square visitors from around the world. Appearing in 8 minute segments each hour, Turkey’s is the largest advertising campaign on this screen, with 16,000 commercial exposures over eight weeks. The displays direct onlookers to the destination’s www.goturkey.com website for more information. They can also be viewed via web cam.

Turkey is one of the few European countries to see an increase in American travelers in recent years. Comparing the first five months of 2010 to 2009, Turkey has seen a 4 percent increase in visitors and is marketing itself aggressively to continue to build its visibility and brand in the US.

Other components of the 2010 marketing campaign include advertisements on television, in print (nationwide glossies, the travel sections of leading metro dailies, travel trade media), outdoor ads on Double Decker Buses in New York and an online campaign utilizing leading travel information web sites.