Raise the Flag! It's More Fun!

Switzerland's 1951 "It's More Fun" tourism campaign had lost its timeliness.  In fact, its current campaign pitch is "Switzerland. get natural." 

Current campaign logo and slogan of Switzerland.

Since, Switzerland is no more claiming to be more fun compared to the rest of the world, it's now our take, our time to claim against the rest of the world, including Switzerland, "It's more fun in the Philippines!"

New tourism campaign logo and slogan launched on January 6, 2012.

I touted  "Should it not be--It's most fun in the Philippines?" for a while because of Switzerland's 60 year-old slogan that suddenly surfaced a few hours after the launch. Convinced of the zest of the "fun" to drive in tourists, the logical action would be to claim the superlative "most". But, as I've pointed out above, it's now our time to claim "It's More Fun".

Let's rise from deep slumber, face the storms unperturbed and, with the flag of our honor and hope raised sky-high, shout to the rest of the world...it's more fun in the Philippines!

In rescuing a Philippine flag, the 12-year-old Janela Lelis of Malinao, Albay,
braved the flood and strong wind at the height of tropical storm Juaning.

It's More Fun in the Philippines!

We, Filipinos, know how to make fun even in unlikely situations. Resilient, we can adapt in any environment--we can learn the languages of the world and are great at mimicking the peculiarities of world cultures, a chameleonic adaptability so to speak. Our coping mechanism is so tremendous that other nationalities are tempted to look at us as masochists or aponiacs. To say that Filipinos are more fun to be with is not overstatement but simple truth. Match that with the beauty of 0ur 7,107 islands each unique...you'll have 7,107 reasons to be proud of our country to bring in more tourists saying...7,107 islands. It's more fun in the Philippines!

"It's more fun in the Philippines," was launched by the Department of Tourism in January 6, 2012, for international campaign. Far from being insensitive, it is timely as it reminds us of the cherished truth about ourselves--ability to cope and have fun even in the midst of miserable and dangerous situations, which we often find ourselves confronted with but we face with the courage of David and the hope of Job.

Soon after it was launched, a watermarked digital copy of a vintage Swiss ad published in a newspaper in 1951 that says "It's more fun in Switzerland" began circulating rapidly in the social media like a wild fire. While many suddenly became critical of the new slogan, not a few were also defending it for the simple reason that it speaks out, loud and clear, the truth about ourselves, as Filipinos, aside from the fact that it was a very old ad--60 years old at that.

Until now it stands.

No typhoons, no floods, no earthquakes, no tidal waves can ever shaken and take away that simple truth about ourselves for as long as we cling--kapit-tuko--to it with faith and hope in God who strengthens us.

Spread the good news. It is more fun in the Philippines!

Note: all photos were taken from the net.