Dec. 20, 2001 – More than 1.5 million people a day are expected to see a 30-second Virgin Islands image flash across the electronic billboard called Astrovision that overlooks New York's famed Times Square from the NBC Building.
The ads will be seen not only by people in Times Square, "but also by people around the world who watch programs that are broadcast from there, including the ever-popular New Year's Eve celebration," Tourism Commissioner Pamela Richards said in a news release.
The huge postcard-style ads began appearing on the 30 by 40 foot screen Monday. A total of 960 of the 30-second spots will run, positioned between 9 a.m. and 1 a.m. every day until New Year's Day.
Luana Wheatley, who handles the Virgin Islands account at Martin Public Relations, said the commercial spots running on the Astrovision screen are the same ones that are currently airing on television.
Wendall Snider, president of the St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association, applauded the Astrovision initiative. "We have to have a presence," he said. However, he said it's anybody's guess whether the ads will induce people to come to the territory. There appears to be a current resistance to travel no matter what the destination, he said, but he believes people eventually will start traveling again.
The Astrovision ad is part of the territory's "Sea to Shining Sea" advertising campaign that shows Virgin Islands scenes. The campaign also includes 570 banner ads on the New York City subways; commercials on such major cable networks as CNN, The Travel Channel, The Weather Channel and ESPN; and radio spots airing in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
In addition, print ads are appearing in the newspapers USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News, The Washington Post, The San Juan Star and the magazines Bon Appetit, Town & Country, Bride's, Modern Bride and Travel Weekly.
