Building on the momentum of the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, the 2024 Türkiye Tourism campaign was designed with a bold vision: to elevate global awareness of Türkiye’s cultural richness, natural beauty, and historical depth. Target audiences included luxury travelers, adventure seekers, cultural enthusiasts, and eco-conscious tourists. The campaign focused on key global markets—USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Spain.

CNN’s audience love to travel, so the campaign was grounded in insights about their preferences, with content designed to appeal a range of specific interests:

• 91% are willing to pay more for authentic, locally rooted experiences (CNN International Commercial, 2024)
• 58% enjoy slow travel to explore, relax and immerse themselves in local culture (CNN International Commercial, 2024)
• 48% are interested in art, history and galleries (GWI, 2023)
• 63% are interested in food, drink and cooking (GWI, 2023)

With these insights in mind, the campaign sought to highlight unique, local experiences within Türkiye, that featured these key points of interest for CNN’s audience including food and archeological findings of ancient Turkish settlements.

CNN’s is highly receptive to tourism activities featured on CNN—83% agree that acitivies seen on CNN inspire their travel planning (CNN International Commercial, 2024). A targeted multi-platform approach was therefore best to ensure the target audience was exposed to this content wherever they consume CNN whether that be on TV, on cnn.com or social media.

A hyper-targeted digital and social campaign comprised of engaging film and article content that introduces the rich cultural heritage of Türkiye, promoting its natural and historical attractions to a discerning travel audience. This is an evolution on an ongoing partnership, with inspiring talent being introduced to immerse audiences in the rich cultural tourism offerings of Türkiye.

The Origins campaign was anchored by a cinematic video series led by renowned filmmaker, photographer and influencer Alex Strohl. Playful and fast paced visual storytelling brought Türkiye’s diverse landscapes and cultural heritage to life, creating a compelling narrative that blended personal exploration with national identity.

Three branded films were produced, each spotlighting a different aspect of Türkiye—from ancient ruins and vibrant cities to tranquil coastlines and rugged mountains.

• The gastronomic history of Kars—specifically the local cheesemaking—drew audiences in to learn about this unqiue city set in a tapestry of rugged landscapes a train ride away from Türkiye’s capital, Ankara.
• Audiences were enticed to explore the legend of Hattusha, an ancient city and lesser-known UNESCO World Heritage site.
• The Princes Islands invited audience on a sustainable travel experience. A short ferry ride from Istanbul takes travelers to an archipeligo with no modern traffic where time seems to slow down.

In addition, a written content series, made up of six bespoke articles, spotlighted the historical landmarks, natural wonders, cultural experiences, and sustainable practices. Each article was designed to appeal to a particular type of traveler and their wanderlust.

An omnichannel amplification approach across the CNN ecoystem ensured the campaign met audiences where they were most engaged, delivering a seamless and immersive brand experience.

• Native articles on CNN.com featured the full-length films.
• Pre-roll cutdowns, Re/Form display banners, and native traffic drivers amplified reach.
• Social media activation included platform-specific video assets across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and @CNNTravel to retarget viewers from the previous campaign to strengthen brand awareness of Türkiye among engaged audiences.
• Instagram Stories and TikTok videos showcased Türkiye’s most unique experiences, driving engagement through swipe-ups and CTAs.
• Global TV campaign aired the films across CNN feeds globally

Leveraging CNN’s high-quality editorial content, adverts were placed strategically around highly-relevant digtial content. Sophisticated targeting ensured the digital campaign was reached the target audience.

The magic of Kars lies in its culinary delights, ancient heritage, and scenic landscapes