Brief & destination issues

The Sologne brand is co-owned by the Région Centre – Val de Loire and the Départements of Loir-et-Cher and Loiret. Launched in May 2015, the Sologne brand is a territory brand. It is a common banner, a sign of recognition, a shared language that fosters the coherence of communication actions undertaken by all brand partners and thereby guarantees the promotion of the territory. It reflects the values of the region’s identity, expressed through a graphic language (logo, colors, visuals, etc.) and a specific vocabulary (words, expressions, etc.). The Sologne brand enables stakeholders to unite under a shared identity, and to communicate in a coordinated way to promote the region and its defined positioning, and to better reach selected customer targets. With the Sologne brand, tourism players now benefit from a shared positioning, a guarantee of recognition: “A territory of nature, experience and encounters where it’s good to get together and recharge your batteries for a weekend or a short stay” and a promise: “Live the present moment more strongly together”. In addition to the communication and marketing tools made available to ambassadors, the Sologne brand should enable the region’s tourism offerings to evolve to meet the ever-changing demands of customers.

The brand therefore launched a call for projects for the production of video vignettes, including script writing, location scouting, choice and payment of extras, negotiation of image rights, shooting, editing and supply of rushes. The aim is to promote the Sologne region and its brand ambassadors to target customers through a series of video vignettes. The aim of these videos is to showcase the region’s beauty, reveal its exceptional panoramas and promote the activities available: outdoor activities, gentle itineraries, themed houses, castle tours, producer visits…. emphasize the hospitality services offered by our ambassadors appreciate local products: cheese, wine, honey… convey the values of the brand.

The agency’s creative position

In order to best respond to the destination’s video needs, an idea has emerged for discovering the region through “the door”:

Nature awakens at dawn: dewdrops on flowers, insects flitting about, mist… A couple in their thirties wake up in a cabin in the forest, with the first rays of daylight. They get up and have breakfast with local produce, then set off for a walk. At the bend in the path, they spot a gate in the middle of the road. They open it and walk through. On the other side, castles and various craft houses, they visit, taste and observe all the little Sologne hands at work. They pass from one place to another through different doors. With each new door, they discover a new specialty, or a new magical place… Until the last one, which leads them to a wooden pier overlooking a Sologne lake at sunset. Grandparents and grandchildren sit there, welcoming them warmly. The reunited family smiles and hugs each other.”

A tempting idea that required a lot of effort to bring to fruition.

• Agency involvement as production manager (coordination, recruitment, logistics, etc.)
• Intervention of a filming team (video, drone)
• The involvement of an art director to design the decorative elements of the videos (production of the door, decor, etc.).
• A team of extras

Marion Rouillat – Project manager for the Sologne region

We had two main objectives: awareness and clichés. We wanted to show a real and natural Sologne, far from the stereotypes it may have. What’s more, we wanted to put it on replay platforms for Paris / Ile de France.

For the brand, we have 2 target customer groups. Active senior citizens who come to Sologne with their friends or grandchildren, and chic-classic Parisian thirtysomethings who come to Sologne for a few days to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of Paris.

Travel-Insight’s response to the brief was clear and precise. The agency immediately understood the brand’s universe. For us, the proposed scenarios were in line with the brand, its targets and differentiating factors. The references were important to us. What’s more, we got the feel for them right away.