The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region’s Campaign Offers Each Visitor a Personalised Brussels Experience

(Source: Travel Weekly China)

The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region is launching the new campaign "Where will Brussels take you?" to promote Brussels both within Belgium and abroad. The website takemeto.brussels gives visitors the possibility of fully personalising their stay in Brussels with the objective of making it a unique experience that goes beyond the traditional cliches. The aim is to allow visitors to call the city "their own Brussels". The campaign has been launched simultaneously in several major European cities using various playfully designed activities and iconic ambassadors - the Smurfs.

Since the attacks in Belgium over a year ago, the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region is doing its utmost to support the most affected sectors and bring tourists and visitors back to the Belgian capital. In this context, the international campaign "Where will Brussels take you?" designed to boost Brussels’ image beyond our borders, has been officially launched today, Tuesday 2 May.

“Numerous actions were undertaken immediately after the attacks and have yielded positive results. We have witnessed a very clear recovery of tourism in Brussels at the beginning of this year. The campaign ‘Where will Brussels take you?’ represents an additional effort and aims at revealing our region’s hidden secrets - the best and most remarkable of what Brussels has to offer,” said Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President.

Where will Brussels take you?

Reducing Brussels in one sentence, or a single word is not easy. In reality there is no single answer to celebrate what Brussels has to offer.

The objective of the campaign "Where will Brussels take you?" is to unveil the Brussels that people can call their own by highlighting everything that our capital embodies: creativity, art of living, encounters, endless discoveries and pleasures. The campaign will pave the way for celebrating the wealth and generosity of the Brussels experience, inviting visitors to discard preconceived notions and traditional cliches of our capital and revealing the Brussels each visitor would like to create individually.

Live your Brussels experience during a personalised stay tailored to your interests

In order to show our region in a different light, the agency Wunderman Brussels has developed the online platform takemeto.brussels, which offers a personalised and tailor-made Brussels stay. According to the interests and personal data communicated by the users, the platform proposes a specific Brussels route in line with each visitor’s profile so that they can live a unique experience of "their Brussels”.

“Where will Brussels take you?” will also be developed into a poster campaign in several key locations in Belgium, train stations and airports of several European cities, and digitally online, on social media and through various influencers. The campaign video, available on press.takemeto.brussels/, was produced by Nicolas Karakatsanis, internationally reputed Belgian director and Anders Malmberg, producer. Internationally renowned Brussels-based ambassadors, including Eddy Merckx, Paul Van Himst, Julie Taton and Laura Beyne, will help boost Brussels’ image throughout the campaign.

Promotional activities: every week, a chance to win a weekend in Brussels

The Smurfs as campaign ambassadors

The campaign was launched simultaneously in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and, of course, in Belgium using various playfully designed activities and iconic Brussels-born ambassadors, namely the Smurfs. Throughout the day, the Smurfs have invaded the heart of European cities to promote Brussels as a top tourist destination. An "instant winner" in every country visited has also received the gift of an unforgettable visit of Brussels for 24 hours.

A weekend offered every week

Armies of Smurf-shaped statuettes have also been placed at iconic touristy places within Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris and Rome, as well as Antwerp and Namur. They encourage Belgians and Europeans to visit the website www.takemeto.brussels for a chance every week to win a weekend in Brussels (including travel and two nights’ accommodation).

The promotional campaign in Brussels will last six months and end on 31 October 2017.