In March 2007, the global brand campaign (an evolution of the ‘Incredible’ theme, which was unprecedented in
terms of quality and scale) was extended to the Internationale Tourismus Bourse (ITB) Berlin – the world's
largest travel and tourism show – where India was participating as the Partner Country. The entire project was
directed by V Sunil and Amitabh Kant, with support from tourism ministries across the world.
The campaign used the entire city as a canvas - covering it with large billboards, branding on taxis and
buses, vibrant graphic art and 3D installations. Signaling a new level of sophistication in India's branding
strategy, the ITB campaign overwhelmed the international media and trade. The statistics tell the story:
Overall area: 150,000 sq. m.
No. of exhibitors: 10,923
No. of countries: 180
No. of foreign exhibitors: 7,215
No. of German exhibitors: 3,708
No. of visitors: 177,154
No. of trade visitors: 108,735
Invitation: Getting the attention of over 5,000 industry leaders from all over the world was no easy task. Phase 1: The initial invitation card was followed by an e-mail reminder listing program details. Phase 2: During the week-long event, 500,000 program flyers and cards listing daily events were placed at visitor touchpoints across the city – including taxis, hotels and the Galeries Lafayette.
Arrival: The experience began at the airport. Mammoth billboards and banners with tongue-in-cheek messages and headlines boldly announced the presence of India at ITB.
Street: Giant billboards playfully highlighted the dramatic contrast between Indian and European culture. Taxis, trams and buses were wrapped in campaign-themed skins, providing commuters with a door-to-door brand experience.
Welcome to the party: For the first time in ITB history, the Partner Country hosted a huge pre-launch party. The India Evening dazzled guests with a kaleidoscope of fashion, culture and fine cuisine, whetting their appetites for the week to come.
Art: Installation 1: A souped-up scooter rickshaw was specially flown in to showcase ‘India version 2.0’. Installation 2: ‘Wool Wall’ - Bundles of brightly coloured wool stacked in a glass cube provided a vibrant 3D background for the brand.
India Pavilion: It was a week filled with business meetings, presentations, art shows, craft displays, ayurveda demonstrations, astrology sessions, classical dances, folk music, tea-tasting, bangle stalls, henna and a mock wedding.
“ITB Berlin 2007 – the leading international travel industry meet – set new records. There were 15% more trade visitors with an increasingly international dimension. The ITB Convention had 9,000 participants (a 25% increase) and highly topical subject matter. India benefited greatly from its partner country status and a total attendance of 177,154.” ITB Press Releas dated 12.03.2007.
The National Geographic issued a special collector's edition in Deutschland titled 'The Magic of India’ to coincide with the event.
"ITB Berlin is an international media event and the partner country gets enormous coverage worldwide. As a principal destination for business travellers and tourists, India has now established a firm place in world tourism.” Astrid Ehring, Press Officer, Messe Berlin.
