CTVNEWS

Victoria, B.C. tries to sex up image in new ads

CTV.ca News Staff Published Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:34PM EST

Text:

The west coast city of Victoria, long thought a little genteel, is trying to flash a little leg in its new ads for tourists.

"We need to reintroduce Victoria to people who have the notion of only horse drawn carriages and afternoon tea," said Melissa McLean of Tourism Victoria.

B.C.'s provincial capital, sitting on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, finds itself in competition with hip cities like Seattle, Portland and Vancouver.

The new ads try to reflect a younger, more urban city.

But "the search for your perfect orgasm is over?"

That ad is running in U.S. culinary magazines. "A type of traveller who is passionate about food and wine, and who tends to speak of it in exactly those terms," McLean said.

An ad targeted at gay and lesbian travellers reads: "Time to experience that tingling sensation."

Some others:

Meet Victoria - Beautiful, talented and dead sexy
Meet Victoria - Rugged, outdoorsy and wrapped in seaweed

"Victoria is not necessarily the Victoria that you remember when you last visited many years ago or as a child," said McLean.

While Tourism Victoria has received some angry phone calls and e-mails from locals who feel the campaign goes too far, some analysts suggest the ads are far from over the top.

"It's a change from what Victoria has done historically but it's not at the very edge of what people do in the media nowadays," said Charles Weinberg.

However, he warned the ads have to deliver on the promised experience.

"You tell people to come to Victoria because there are going to be great restaurants there, then there better be great restaurants because otherwise people tell their friends, 'I went to have a great dining experience and I was disappointed'."

So far, inquiries are up.

But in addition to the implied sensual experiences there, check out the more traditional offerings from the Tourism Victoria "what's new" page on its website: