Ad of the week – the Belize Tourism Board

by Stratton Craig

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Fans of the hit TV show ‘Breaking Bad’ have jumped on a particular line of dialogue from the most recent episode. The main character, Walter White, was accused of metaphorically dispatching someone to Belize to get rid of them – and the country’s tourism board has responded with an open invite to the entire cast.
The script established the use of ‘sending [someone] to Belize’ as a euphemism for killing them, which isn’t a particularly nice association for the country to have. Thankfully the marketing team at the Belize Tourism Board have a sense of humour, and the quick thinking to respond in such a timely and well-worded way.
In the open letter, sent to the New York Times, the board reveals how ‘flattered’ they are to have been name-checked in the programme. Their genuine love of the show is clear all the way through, especially at the end where specific sights and activities are suggested for each character.
The ad released by the tourism board has been supported online by their Twitter account @belizevacation with mentions of Breaking Bad cast members and relevant plot points. It builds on their warm and friendly tone of voice, and raises awareness amongst fans of the show who might not have considered Belize as a holiday destination.
As always, if you’ve seen a good ad in the last seven days let us know. Tweet a link to @strattoncraig or contact us via the website.