“Rustic”, “boring”, “outdated”, “lost” and “exclusive”: the picture is not very rosy. These qualifications regularly return to the ears of Aube tourism professionals. If you’ve never set foot there, what do you really know about Troyes and, by extension, about the Aube? That François Baroin has been mayor of Troyes for many years, that the Estac football club regularly moves between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, that andouillette is one of the local specialties and that champagne is produced somewhere else than on the Marne.
Moreover, the department has difficulty getting out of the game and recognizing the differences. Therefore, to the five adjectives mentioned above, Aube en Champagne Attrabilité, the department’s tourism agency, responded with a more positive vocabulary: “folk”, “vibrant”, “iconic”, “free” and “friendly”. “We wanted to break the code with a concept that could amaze, but still assume that we are ourselves,” emphasized Rémi Mailliu, ACA marketing manager.
This is where the iconoclastic digital communications campaign was born. Available in ten visuals featuring several regional assets. Launched in October, the campaign will be paused within a few days and will restart in late fall. “We remain a region that people don’t immediately think of, even though we are less than two hours from Paris,” regrets Rémi Mailliu.
The campaign, which was visible on social networks and targeted media sites in the form of web banners, was aimed at most of the north-eastern region of France, namely the regions of Grand Est, Île-de-France and Hauts-de-France, as well as the northern region of Burgundy.
Authenticity map
Putting aside the “They say… They say…” mode, the department shows self-deprecation by accepting the cliché “Our desire is to be a small destination that gets attention! », added Christelle Taillardat, director of ACA.
The communications campaign is part of a global strategy to establish a new brand code and give Aube an identity it often lacks abroad. “We recently hosted journalists from the national press from Paris, around a gastronomic theme. They all told us that they would remember this visit. They met people who had stories to tell and were able to spare their time,” continues Christelle Taillardat. Far from the rhythm of the Paris area that is their daily life.
In its approach, developed by the Bordeaux institute “Les Conteurs”, the ACA team is supported 100% by the departmental council. “We want to show that we feel good here, that we live well and we don’t hesitate to express who we really are,” said Didier Leprince, member of the department’s assembly and president of the ACA.
Clean and highly visual, this communication campaign aims to be embedded in people’s minds, as the Vosges department achieved several years ago with its famous “I see life in the Vosges” campaign.
“We want to build an image around the destination, and so that people can identify the area,” explained Rémi Mailliu. The Aube will never be the Paris of Île-de-France and Troyes, but the department has other tricks up its sleeve. “We promise authenticity,” supports Didier Leprince. “Here, there are many small Eiffel Towers. » All guaranteed without traffic jams or pollution. “What we offer pleases with something real,” says Christelle Taillardat.
