The Illa Carlemany de Escaldes Engordany (Andorra) cinema today hosted the presentation of the communication campaign for the 2019 alpine skiing World Cup Finals Andorra at Soldeu - El Tarter. It is the largest sport event in the history of Andorra, and will take place from 11 to 17 March, with the participation of ambassadors Carolina Ruiz, a Spanish former alpine ski racer who won a downhill victory at the 2013 World Cup in Méribel, and Luc Alphand, decorated athlete and 1997 World Cup champion.
The communications campaign was launched today in order to continue strengthening Andorra’s position as a top international skiing destination and emphasise what it means for both the Principality and the Pyrenees to host such a premier competition. The campaign aims to involve the country, build enthusiasm and highlight the values of the event, the ski resort and the sponsors using a cross-cutting message.
General Manager of the 2019 World Cup Finals Organising Committee Conrad Blanch explained that “one of the major goals of these finals is for Andorra to become well-known as a destination worldwide. We want the country to make the event its own”. Along these lines, Grandvalira-Nevasa General Manager Alfonso Torreño stated that “this cross-cutting communication campaign goes beyond the ski resort to highlight everything the country has to offer. We want to get everyone involved and excited”. Tourism Minister Francesc Camp added that “getting everyone involved makes human capital one of the primary assets. At this event we are putting our best selves forward and positioning ourselves on the global stage”.
Carolina Ruiz and Luc Alphand have joined the event’s promotional team. Ruiz commented: “Andorra already has lots of experience with competitions. What I have felt in Andorra in recent years as a racer is the passion with which the people of this country do things. There is a huge human effort, and you go home feeling just how passionately the people experience it.”
Alphand added that he was “at the European Cup finals last season and it was a very well organised event. All skiers dream about winning the Crystal Globe, and this year we will experience it at Soldeu – El Tarter.”
This winter we’ll all be champions
The first phase of the advertising campaign to introduce will be launched from September to November. The main communication strategy revolves around the slogan “This winter we’ll all be world champions” with a graphic representation of the Crystal Globe at the top of a podium.
From December to March, the promotional campaign will intensify for the 2019 alpine skiing World Cup Finals Andorra at Soldeu - El Tarter Andorra in order to get all of the country’s residents involved and excited about the sporting spirit. The second phase will therefore have the slogan: “World champions in excitement”.
The third phase of the campaign will include street activities in partnership with the Principality’s trade associations. Various social media efforts will also be launched with global sport celebrities linked to the ski resort, to help promote the use of the hashtag #totssomcampions and the official hashtag #SoldeuElTarterWCF19 and boost the visibility of the event.
The online game of the Finals
New technologies will also be present with the launch of the first alpine skiing World Cup Finals online game for mobile devices, available on Google Play and the Apple Store. “Ski Race Soldeu” is the name of the game in which players from around the world must try to get the best time on the Downhill (DH) slope Àliga El Tarter, an identical reproduction of the real slope. Soldeu - El Tarter will organise different online competitions throughout the entire season.
On 12 March the opening ceremony will be held on the Avet slope in Soldeu with a spectacular light, sound and fireworks show. The numbers draw will take place in Plaza Carlemany in Canillo on 16 March, accompanied by festivities. During the finals there will also be a programme of musical events on race days at Abarset in El Tarter, one of the top après-ski spots in the Pyrenees. The organisation hopes that the entire country will get involved, get excited and experience what will be a very important week for Andorra.
In terms of media, according to data available from Infront Sports & Media about the competitions held in Méribel in 2015 and St. Moritz in 2016, the 2019 alpine skiing World Cup Finals Andorra at Soldeu - El Tarter can be expected to have a potential television audience of nearly 700 million viewers and some 350 accredited media outlets.
