Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) has unveiled its latest campaign, taking Aussies inside real stories told by the Ni-Vanuatu people.
The consumer marketing initiative is called Vanuatu Uncovered and celebrates one of the world’s greatest living cultures.
Live until 21 November, the campaign will roll out across social channels, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, supported by owned content on Vanuatu Tourism Office’s website, social channels and EDMs, estimated to reach seven million Australians.
All campaign touchpoints direct consumers to vanuatu.travel/answerthecall where travellers can explore the stories of Vanuatu culture and custom that make Vanuatu one of the world’s most fascinating places to visit.
The latest campaign sits under the destination’s Answer the Call of Vanuatu brand, which launched in 2019.
For the first time VTO has turned the lens on the Ni-Vanuatu people, capturing customs, sounds and traditions as they’re lived day to day, rather than presented for visitors.
Filmed across Efate, Espiritu Santo and Tanna, the campaign unfolds across five episodes, each one built around a story VTO says most Australians have never had the chance to see:
- The Water Music – at Riri Blue Hole in Espiritu Santo, women perform the ancient art of water music, slapping and splashing the surface of the water to create rhythm and song passed down through generations.
- The Living Mountain – on Tanna, Philip stands at the edge of one of the world’s most accessible active volcanoes, the fiery Mount Yasur, connecting with his ‘university’, a peak that has given him wisdom and remains sacred to local communities.
- The Sound of Community – in Espiritu Santo’s Ransuck Cultural Village, daily life, kastom and connection play out much as they have for generations, maintaining a connection to their ancestors.
- One Tree, One Canoe – in Port Olry, Sandy’s canoe is carved from a single tree trunk, a tradition that speaks to patience, skill and a deep relationship with nature and the land.
- Our Living Culture – in Port Vila, mesmerising sand drawing and basket weaving reveal storytelling traditions preserved over the years and still taught and practised across Efate today.
Adela Issachar Aru, Vanuatu Tourism Office CEO, said the campaign is in response to research that shows that Australians travel to understand culture and immersive experiences.
“In Vanuatu we have incredible unbroken cultural traditions that are unique to Vanuatu, passed from generation to generation such as water music and elaborate sand drawing,” said Adela.
“We know our culture is one of the richest remaining on earth and with this latest campaign we hope to give you a taste of it and invite you to Answer the Call of Vanuatu.
Images and video courtesy Vanuatu Tourism Office
