thebahamasweekly.com - The Islands of The Bahamas Goes Hollywood

The Bahamas Boasts
The Islands of The Bahamas Goes Hollywood
By Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
Mar 7, 2007 - 2:38:57 PM

Pictured here are: Consul General for The Bahamas in New York, Ed Bethel (C); his wife Dawn (L); and Grammy Award winning recording artist, Janet Jackson.

The pull of Hollywood and its monarchs has proven irresistible to all exposed to its glitter and charm. This new royalty has successfully monopolized the attention of ordinary citizens and the world media. Thus it is no surprise that The Islands of The Bahamas has fallen wholeheartedly into this medium in an effort to further market and promote the destination.

This year, The Islands of The Bahamas delved even deeper into the Hollywood landscape with its historic participation in the star studded 79^th Annual Academy Awards. More than ever, the 2007 Oscars was the darling of the U.S. and international media as many nomination categories teemed with suspense and unexpected twists.

Hoping to capitalize on the media frenzy, especially the attention directed at the African-American stars that dominated during this year’s Awards, The Islands of The Bahamas hosted the 3^rd Annual Ebony Pre-Oscar Celebration. The event honoured Academy Award winners Forest Whitaker, Halle Berry, Jennifer Hudson and entertainment greats Janet Jackson and Herbie Hancock.

The glittery affair took place three days before the Oscars at the Jim Henson Studios in Hollywood, California. Representing The Bahamas at the event were Consul General, Ed Bethel; his wife, Dawn; and a small Ministry of Tourism contingent. Also on hand to add a splash of Bahamian flavour was Colours Junkanoo Group. The group put on a spectacular performance for the string of A-list celebrities attending the event that included: Grammy Award winning Mary J. Blige; recording artist, Ludacris; fashion and media mogul Russell Simmons; Rev. Jesse Jackson, actor/comedienne Chris Tucker and their host of media following.

Outlining the strategy behind the Ministry’s decision to incorporate this type of affair into The Bahamas’ promotional campaign, Deputy Director General at MOT, Ellison Thompson, described the event as an unparalleled opportunity for The Islands of The Bahamas. “Participating in this event allowed The Bahamas to target key audiences: African Americans, the entertainment industry and Los Angeles, three key markets for us,” Mr. Thompson said. “The beauty and splendor of our over 700 islands offers movie, video and photography sets that are like no other. We strongly believe that strengthening our ties with this very vibrant industry can only serve to enhance our tourism returns.”

Through this partnership with Ebony, The Islands of The Bahamas received gross media impressions in excess of 2.6 million inclusive of mentions and articles in top publications like Jet Magazine, Los Angeles Business Journal, and the Financial Times along with appearances on two segments of the top-rated KTLA Morning Show.

As the fascination with Hollywood continues to grow, its position as a key channel for advertisers and promoters will also increase. According to Mr. Thompson, the Ministry of Tourism plans to continue to strengthen its ties in this area to bring even greater awareness to the varied offerings of The Islands of The Bahamas.

Photo Below (Click to Enlarge): Th e Islands of The Bahamas became the only destination sponsor of this year’s Ebony Pre-Oscar Party in Hollywood on Thursday, February 22 at the Jim Henson Studios. The party has been hosted for the past three years to honor of excellence in African American film and media. This year’s party honored celebrities Forrest Whitaker, Janet Jackson, Halle Berry and Herbie Hancock. Pictured are: Consul General for The Bahamas in New York, Ed Bethel (C); his wife Dawn (L); and Academy Award winner, Halle Berry.