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Philippines Department of Tourism Creates Virtual Island on Second Life

Posted on: Friday, 5 June 2009, 04:06 CDT

MANILA, Philippines, June 5 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- MTV Revelations, part of the Awesome Philippines campaign to promote the Philippines as a destination for young adults and music lovers, has set up an island on Second Life, the popular 3D virtual world, to engage and encourage young travelers to visit the Philippines. Complementing the 8 May launch of the online campaign on Second Life will be the Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) animated television commercial, to air on MTV around the world beginning in early June.

Visitors may utilize the virtual island to view and explore a multitude of destinations. On the island, visitors can dive virtually with whale sharks at the mouth of Donsol River, Sorsogon; go windsurfing on a beach modeled after the famous white sands of Boracay; fly above the majestic 1,268 Chocolate Hills of Bohol; and visit Mount Mayon, The Philippines' most active volcano.

''We wanted to do something original, yet relevant to today's youth. The Internet, virtual worlds like Second Life and social media are powerful platforms today. In particular, the Web 2.0 world puts the power directly in the hands of the consumers,'' explained Secretary of Philippines Department of Tourism, Joseph ''Ace'' Durano. ''As much as it is about showcasing some of the amazing destinations the Philippines has to offer, it is also about youth participation. As a tourism board, we recognize the value of engaging young people online and we embrace co-creation alliances with our guests."

''We are proud to be the lead media agency appointed by the Philippines Department of Tourism to develop this one-of-a-kind global campaign - Awesome Philippines - targeting youth travelers in twelve markets," said Eduardo Mapa, Chief Operations Officer and Managing Director of Mediacontacts. ''By partnering with MTV Asia Networks, we have created MTV Revelations as part of the Awesome Philippines campaign. Through MTV Revelations, we are able to create greater awareness for Philippines destinations, off-line and on-line, by synergizing communications and marketing through traditional and digital mediums.''

''Tapping into our global strength and developing tools to maximize engagement on all platforms is a vital part of the MTV Revelations campaign,'' said Indra Suharjono, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, MTV Networks Southeast Asia and Greater China. ''Recent research shows that while TV remains the most efficient medium to introduce youth to brands, combining the popularity of digital destinations such as Second Life with a 360 degree campaign such as MTV Revelations allows young people to engage, interact and experience the Philippines in new ways.''

With an eye on the growing market of youth adventure travelers, MTV Revelations campaign was launched on February 27th with the ''Awesome Philippines'' website. Targeting twelve markets - Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, U.K. and U.S.A. - the campaign features a series of video spots with MTV VJs from different countries talking about their personal experiences in the Philippines, giving online visitors a fresh view on holiday destinations seen through the eyes of MTV.

On the site, the ''Remix Your Holiday'' global contest encourages participation from site visitors, where they can create and publish online their own remixed videos of popular Philippine travel spots, using stock images and footages of the country's top tourist attractions. The contest runs through May 24, is open to participants in 11 countries and is offered in five different languages. One winner from each country will win the perfect holiday for two to the Philippines courtesy of the PDOT. To date, the contest has seen enthusiastic response from youth all over the world.

While adopting a strong communication lead on the internet through Second Life and social network platforms for the MTV Revelations campaign, MTV Asia will also promote the ''Remix Your Holiday'' contest on MTV Channels in Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, U.K. and U.S.A , potentially reaching over 254 million homes worldwide. To film these vignettes, MTV VJs traveled to various parts of the Philippines including Manila, Batangas, Bicol, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu and Palawan.

For more information about MTV, log on to http://awesomephilippines.com .

MTV Networks in South East Asia and Greater China

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks in South East Asia and China comprises three distinctly branded channels in the region: MTV, the world's largest television network and the leading multimedia brand for youth; Nickelodeon, the leading entertainment brand dedicated exclusively to kids; and VH1, the music video network that keeps adult viewers connected to the music they love. MTV Networks has the following channels and programming services in Southeast Asia and Greater China: MTV Asia, MTV China, MTV Indonesia, MTV Mandarin, MTV Philippines and MTV Thailand, Nick Asia, Nick Indonesia, VH1 Indonesia and VH1 Thailand. MTV and Nickelodeon's businesses also include branded consumer products, program sales and digital media including online and wireless.

SOURCE MTV Networks International

Source: PR Newswire

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