By Devon Evans, Freelance Writer ST. ANN:
THE JAMAICA Tourist Board (JTB) will have a brand new and exciting television commercial within a couple of months as part of its ongoing efforts to effectively market Jamaica as a preferred destination.
Shooting of the scenes for the new TV commercial, which has been long overdue, began on January 22 in Black River on the Southcoast and ended on Saturday, February 2 in the town on Lucea, Hanover.
"What's interesting about this commercial is that while we will be using new images, we are using the same one love music, which has now become our national tourism anthem," says Audrey Anderson, Promotions Manager at the JTB.
She said the new commercial will not only feature the traditional resort areas of the island, but will expose many other areas of the Jamaican landscape, its culture and its people.
Some of the locations where scenes were shot include YS Falls and Treasure Beach in St. Elizabeth, Negril Lighthouse, sections of Montego Bay, Top Road in St. Anns Bay, Frenchman's Cove in Portland and a reggae concert scene at the Martha Brae in Trelawny. Anderson also noted that it was the first time scenes for a JTB commercial were shot in the town of Lucea.
Also of interest is that Bob Marley's 'One Love,' a song used by the JTB in its advertising campaign for years, will again be used in the new commercial. However, the singer this time will be popular recording artiste Abijah.
"What we have done," Anderson explained, "is that we have gone into studio, change the music, include a vocalist -- Abijah -- and we now have a brand new one love which is absolutely beautiful."
"It sounds like a regular dance hall song and it is music that people can dance to", the JTB Promotions Manager added.
Anderson was unable to say how much money it was costing JTB to do the TV commercial but explained that it was a huge project from which hundreds of Jamaicans were able to earn an income. These workers, she said, include the production crew, over 300 tourism workers who were employed for the reggae concert at Martha Brae, in addition to caterers, farmers, market vendors and ground transport operators.
The new JTB commercial is being done by the New York-based advertising agency FCB. Producer Laura Benjamin said, "this one will be a sure winner for Jamaica because I think it portrays all of Jamaica and not just the tourist side of the island." Benjamin observed that the concept of the commercial which is to follow a journey through Jamaica is one that even members of the production crew could share with others who have no knowledge of the country. It was an amazing experience, she concluded.
