So did you love the recent season of The White Lotus, or do you hate television? The hit show just finished its second season, and its massive popularity has inspired a clever earned media marketing campaign for Destination Québec cité.
The tourism marketer for the Québec capital sent a special travel brochure to show creator Mike White, inviting him to choose Quebec City as the setting for its next season. White Lotus is the name of the fictional resort chain where HBO’s dark comedy unfolds.
Season one was set in Hawaii, while season two took place in Sicily. DQC believes its world-famous hotel high atop the St. Lawrence River would be perfect setting for season three.
“Shows like The White Lotus can have a significant impact on a location,” said Robert Mercure, general manager, Destination Québec cite, in a release from LG2, the agency behind the idea. “For hours on end, fans will captively follow a story set in a charming destination and dream about taking a vacation there. The idea was to create a bid package, like major cities do for the Olympics, but for the next season of this hit HBO series.”
“We’re inviting you to our city because we believe Québec City is a destination extraordinaire,” said Mercure in the letter to White at the front of the brochure. “With its majestic Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, historic fortifications, architectural treasures and over 400 years of history next to 21st-century modernity, Québec City will undoubtedly give The White Lotus a certain je ne sais quoi as captivating as the city itself.”
The rest of the brochure outlines six reasons why White should choose Québec cite: The hotel; the river (“… your characters will be able to make their grand entrance by boat”); the mystery of its historic streets; the magic of winter; the nearby spectacular landscapes; and, most pragmatically, the fact that $1 US gets you $1.37 Canadian.
LG2 said there was no paid media behind this one, just organic posts on DQC social channels and a press release that was quickly picked up by most major Canadian media outlets.
