Olson Wins Belize Tourism Account

The Mayans may have predicted the end of the world in December but Belize, home to ruins belonging to those Mesoamericans, is planning for life beyond. The Central American country has tapped Olson as agency of record without a review. 

Olson’s first campaign, expected to launch in early 2013, covers advertising, design, digital, mobile and social media. In hiring the Minneapolis agency, Manuel Heredia, Jr., Belize’s minister of Tourism, said “Olson not only captured what’s unique about Belize, but it demonstrated the capabilities to bring those insights to life in compelling ways and through many channels.”

Olson replaces agencies like Edelman Digital and BVK, Milwaukee, in working to boost North American tourism. That industry is critical to Belize’s economy and employs 25 percent of its population. Last year Belize spent some $6 million on marketing.

The win comes after Olson picked up the Midwestern business for Whole Foods Market, AOR duties for the Alzheimer’s Association and PR efforts for Kraft’s Oscar Mayer brand.