Ottawa Tourism and Rethink Offer Tourists a Variety of Emotions

To launch their 2024–2025 tourist season, Ottawa Tourism mandated Rethink to redesign their signature and create a national advertising campaign. Following a brand identity overhaul a few years ago, as well as targeted initiatives across North American markets, this campaign is the most significant initiative to come out of this collaboration. 

When choosing a destination, travellers seek authentic experiences. Our communications must reflect this. Sometimes underestimated, Ottawa has plenty to offer visitors with its wide range of activities and sensations.

“That’s why we wanted to challenge misconceptions by focusing on the real strengths of Ottawa’s touristic offering,” explained Pascal Routhier, chief of strategy and partner at Rethink. 

Ottawa, from Oh! to Ah!, a signature that conveys the wide range of sensations that can be experienced when exploring the variety of activities Ottawa has to offer.

“Not only does this signature highlight the uniqueness of our region’s tourism, it is unique, given that Ottawa is the only major Canadian travel destination whose pronunciation literally sounds like 'Oh to Ah'," explained Courtney Merchand, assistant director, marketing for Ottawa Tourism. 

The signature comes to life in a campaign featuring 6-, 15-, 30- and 60-second videos, billboards, print, radio and digital, including generic creatives for the entire tourism offering and dedicated assets for each of the four seasons.

Rethink and Ottawa Tourism would like to pay tribute to Félix Renaud for his exceptional work and the wonderful person he was, and extend their most sincere condolences to his family and friends.