Planet Earth’s first interstellar tourism campaign has taken off – highlighting a destination that is truly “out of this world”. As Star Wars fans everywhere eagerly await Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Tourism Ireland is celebrating the film’s imminent release with a fun publicity stunt – the first ever tourism campaign in space!
Perched above the earth in space, a billboard ad is highlighting “Earth’s Wild Atlantic Way” with an image of Skellig Michael, otherwise known as Luke Skywalker’s hide-out in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Tourism Ireland’s billboard was launched into space using a weather balloon, to reach a peak altitude of 33,390 metres – where a photo and short film of the ad were then captured. Tourism Ireland will share the photo and film with its 20,000 international media contacts; with via social media – with its 4+ million Facebook fans and 451,000+ followers on Twitter around the world. The aim is to create some excitement just before The Last Jedi is released and to remind fans everywhere that locations in counties Cork, Kerry, Clare and Donegal will represent the planet Ahch-to in the film – due to hit the big screen on 15 December.
Tourism Ireland will once again leverage the huge global popularity of Star Wars for Irish tourism. The organisation will launch the first phase of its new Star Wars campaign on 18 December, targeting fans of the science fiction franchise everywhere.
“Our space tourism publicity stunt is a bit of fun, designed to create some excitement as Star Wars fans everywhere get ready for the release of The Last Jedi,” said Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland. “The fact that another Star Wars film was shot on location along the Wild Atlantic Way is truly a fantastic coup for Irish tourism. It presents Tourism Ireland with a superb opportunity to highlight the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland in 2018.”
