The Challenge

Visit Tyrol needed guidance on the translation of a campaign slogan for the UK. The brand campaign intended to raise awareness of the Tyrol region, to position it as the number one Alpine tourist destination and to engage potential visitors around ‘heartbeat moments’. Their slogan is “Wofür schlägt dein Herz”. There were two potential translations to be assessed: “What makes your heart beat?” and “Where does your heart take you?”

Semiotic Role

A category review of the travel sector revealed a surfeit of emotionally hyperbolic taglines. It showed that the first slogan carried connotations of romantic infatuation, physical exhilaration but also superficial cliché. The second carried a deeper sense of wanderlust, serendipity and personal conviction. It was recommended that this latter slogan was more in tune with the emergent experience economy in the British context.

Outcomes

The Tourist Board were persuaded that the second slogan carried the meanings that they wanted to convey around the ideas ‘heartbeat moments’. They have since rolled out this tagline in a UK campaign which has been commercial successful and increased subscriptions to their portal among target by 50%.