PHILIPSBURG:--- An animation of portraying Sint Maarten as an option to seek refuge from the snowstorm currently active in the Northeastern United States was a hit on social media this Wednesday. It was one of the fruits of the branding project of Sint Maarten creatives and the Sint Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) started last year in August 2016. The movie went viral as various Sint Maarten hotels assisted in spreading the commercial, aided by their most loyal guests and sympathizers abroad. Reactions came in from as far as Russia.
The feature portrays a US highway in a snowy, grey background, and two hands shaping a heart with images from a Sint Maarten beach. The image was created by local Sint Maarten creative Loic Bryan (Artistic Drive), who animated the branding work he did with Arun Jagtiani, Ronny Busby, and Eduardo DeHaay.
Snow Storm Stella created chaos on the northeastern United States area over the past days. Airlines canceled thousands of flights in the Boston and New York area, trains were suspended and various governors even went as far to declare an emergency situation.
The ad offered a befitting platform for the “Calm In Your Storm” campaign, devised already in November as a teaser but missing a “perfect storm” for launch. SHTA is very grateful for the support of both frequent visitors as well as the hotels contributing to getting the national message out.
In a joint effort, SHTA members sent out the message to over 5,000 travel agents in the Northeastern United States to think of Sint Maarten for those wanting to flee the cold weather. On the SHTA website alone, the effort was greeted with many views.
The artwork was previously presented at the annual Crystal Pineapple Awards, where Bryan, Busby and Jagtiani’s artwork formed the keynote. 400 guests visiting the event took the project one step further by aiding the project with suggestions and slogans. They based their campaign on previous Branding research done by SHTA and members through workshops and information provided for by frequent customers. By means of teaser videos and advertisements, various respected Sint Maarten creatives were requested to show their ideas of what branding country Sint Maarten should look like.
By means of the branding project efforts, SHTA builds on the conviction that the best brand Sint Maarten can be built bottom up - by Sint Maarteners and their most loyal customers. Next to that, being the largest business representative on island, SHTA is convinced that the island has enough talent to produce its own award winning campaign. Please feel free to visit www.shta.com and our SHTA Facebook to see the ad yourself. To download it go to http://gph.is/2nbnIx2.
SHTA is happy it drew a lot of international attention, as it is to organize the Sint Maarten Annual Tradeshow together with its partners of L’Association des Hoteliers de St. Martin (AHSM), Saint-Martin Tourism Office and the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. As any year, the event looks to get as much international guests to bring business to the island. The event will take place at 14th to 16th of June this year.
SHTA offers St Maarten to be refuge for snow storm battered East Coast of the United States.
