A West Midland production company has created a TV programme promoting Hong Kong as a holiday destination.
Lichfield-based iceni was selected by Hong Kong Tourism Board to produce the programme on the strength of its portfolio of travel incentive, destination, documentary and promotional films.
Hong Kong Tourism Board launched a national competition to find three amateur presenters to travel with the iceni production team and star in their own documentary film.
The resulting TV programme, Hong Kong Revealed, also sponsored by Cathay Pacific and Travel 2, was launched at a private screening at the Soho Hotel in London.
Since 2001 iceni has filmed over 50 international destinations, and received recognition from the New York Film Festival and the US International Film and Video Festival for its travel programmes.
The programme can be seen on the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s YouTube page, and on its own dedicated microsite, designed and produced by the iceniweb and digital design team.
Iceni managing director Cathy Bentley said: “Hong Kong Revealed is a complete 360 degree PR and marketing campaign.
“It started with print adverts to search for stars for the film, included a broadcast television programme, a campaign web page with streaming video, an email ‘blast’ to drive visitors to the website, and design and print for mail out DVDs of the programme.
“The campaign even made good use of video sharing and social networking websites like YouTube, twitter, and Facebook to get the programme to the target audience.”
Hong Kong Tourism Board project manager Carmen Tse said: “When we decided to produce a travelogue with amateur presenters, many got sceptical and wondered how the film would turn out.
“Hong Kong Revealed took everyone by surprise. During filming in Hong Kong, the production team were so experienced that everyone was put at ease.”
Iceni, which has offices in London and the Midlands, has worked with private sector clients such as BT and Royal Bank of Scotland as well as bodies like Advantage West Midlands.
The company recently produced a programme giving window company Everest’s sales teams the facts about a new solar panels range with Sara Hollamby and Michael Holmes, presenter of ITV’s Don’t Move Improve.
The company last year won a Highly Commended accolade for Communication Matters, a DVD created for Birmingham City Council and the National Deaf Children’s Society, at the 2008 International Visual Communications Association Clarion Awards British Film Institute ceremony.
The video featured Asian children, young people and their families reflecting on the impact of deafness.
