VisitBritain, British Airways Prepare Post-Olympics Promotions
VisitBritain and British Airways will launch £5 million worth of post-Olympics promotions in the U.S. and other international markets immediately after the Sept. 9 closing ceremony for the London Paralympics, which follows the Summer Games, which close Aug. 12. Marketing Director Laurence Bresh promised “to capitalize on the media coverage” to build momentum for the fall and beyond.
Anniversary promotions aimed at the U.S. market will include the 50th anniversary of both James Bond movies (“Dr. No” was the first) and the “British Invasion” led by the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Videos starring three new celebrities -- boxer Lennox Lewis, tennis player Boris Becker and golfer Colin Montgomerie -- are promoting Britain to sports fans. Travel to Britain was up 6 percent overall for the year through April, but down 3 percent from the U.S., according to preliminary estimates issued by VisitBritain.
