Center Parcs launches new ‘Forest is Your Playground’ Campaign
The Dutch provider of short breaks, Center Parcs, have fascinated children and challenged parents with their new 50-second commercial. The advert marks the launch of a new campaign entitled ‘The Forest is Your Playground’, which seeks to depict the woodland areas owned by the company as immersive playgrounds that can provide families with hours of imaginative play and subsequent bonding time.
The ad was debuted on the company’s Facebook channel before being brought to television screens around the country. It’s a visual embodiment of their famous slogan, which urges families to take time out from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to ‘get together again’. The slogan was also used in the company’s successful campaign last year, which followed a similar line in its fantastical recounting of a suburban family of bears who rediscover their love of the forest and the freedom that it represents.
Center Parcs have decided to stick with the notion of families letting their imaginations run wild. In the most recent advert, two children and their parents take turns telling stories as they walk through the forest. They conjure up a mischievous robot who they can’t keep up with, a ‘leaf monster’ who must be defeated, and a huge ‘forest whale’ who helps the family to glide to safety on his back.
The detailed characters took the production team a hefty 1,200 hours of animation work to make sure that they fitted naturally in to the forest environment. But such a painstaking process clearly seems to have paid off, as Center Parcs have succeeded in creating a piece of advertising that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Rather than simply talking about their short breaks as a lone product, the company focus on the emotional benefits of what their sites have to offer. The campaign shows how a short break away from the everyday routine can help to bring families together; an experience that is priceless, if a little pricey depending on the time of year!
Viewers are also shown how spending time in the forest is a great way to teach children about the world around them. Embracing imaginative play is an easy and cheap way to entertain children for hours on end. With a little thought, the simple items that surround us can be made in to something really fascinating for children.
Colin Whaley, who is in charge of Marketing and Sales at Center Parcs, spoke about how the team’s research revealed some shocking truths about modern life. It found that parents hardly ever get time to give to children their full, undivided attention, and get on the same level as them. Whaley said “we want to inspire people to carve out family time, not just during the festive period, but in daily life as well. So many of our guests come back time after time and tell us that we are a great place to truly get together and enjoy being a family”.
Another advantage of outdoor play is that it’s a great way to lead a healthy lifestyle. Running around and playing games with children is one of the best ways to exercise and have tons of fun at the same time. This is why, here at Garden Play, we are passionate about outdoor adventure. We hope that more and more families will be inspired to get together and embrace their imaginations in the natural environment.
