Monaco's Minister of State unveiled the 4.5 m euros campaign from Casino Square a few days before the Fete Nationale.

After negative reports about the Principality were published by the press during the 2009 G20 summit, the Government developed a strategy to reclaim Monaco's global image. The campaign is proceeding in stages, with a "softly, softly" approach. First, a poster campaign in Monaco, followed by ads in the regional and French press, moving on to British and other European media from 2011. Opinion leaders, foreign economic leaders, and professional sociodemographic groups are being targeted.

Unveiling the campaign posters on 16th November, Michel Roger insisted that the campaign isn't just an advertisement for Monaco. It's not promoting tourism, glamour, nor the much valued security of the Principality. If anything, the image that the State wishes to portray is that of a modern country.

Ten images representing Monaco's territory have been created for the campaign, each with a different tag line, showing what makes Monaco un role a part dans le monde (playing a special role in the world). Each image is supported by a factual statement that shows how Monaco acts in the international arena, explains Guillaume Pannaud of TBWA, the agency responsible for the creative design. The fields of action are:

• culture
• sport
• finance
• environment
• humanitarianism

As an example, one image shows flags representing the 119 nationalities of residents juxtaposed within an outline of the Monegasque territory. The tag line reads the most cosmopolitan state in the world : it takes a big country to enable the talents of 119 nationalities to live together in the same territory.

The visuals and text are purposefully sober, with the intention to persuade the reader to contemplate the message and appeal to the intelligence. Michel Roger described it as an elegant, tasteful campaign.

Speaking of the 3 phase delivery, Pannaud said the plan is to first speak to those who are not usually favourable to the Principality:

"Articles originating from the French territory are the most critical of Monaco".

Hence the posters can now be seen in leading French newspapers and magazines.

You can check out the posters on the campaign website which was activated on 16th November. An independent institute is to measure the effects of the campaign and will report during January.

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