VisitScotland has begun a new social media campaign today. It includes parkour athletes in Edinburgh and a scallop diver in Mull, bringing Scotland to the notice of those who might then be attracted to come here for a holiday.
The global campaign will run for the next 18 months and will involve up to 25 global vloggers and Instagrammers matched with a diverse range of local people across Scotland who have interesting jobs, hobbies or skills. Each social media influencer spends 1-2 days with their Scottish local and is encouraged to shadow them in their activities. The rest of the time they are here they are free to explore their own interests across the country.
In this way, social media influencers will be able to gain a true insight into what it is really like to live, work, study and play in Scotland and then communicate this to their audiences. Some of the so-called influencers have many thousands of followers on social media, and the combined total runs into millions.
Recent research has shown the strength of social media influencers and their power to drive conversations and engagement as well as deliver inspiring content, with many millennials trusting influencers nearly as much as they trust their friends and family.
The campaign, entitled Scotland: Life launched officially last weekend with the release of a film by the popular US YouTube channel DevinSupertramp. The American videographers, who have over 4.5 million subscribers, were paired with four extreme athletes from Scotland to create a fast-paced film showcasing parkour and street trial bike stunts in Edinburgh.
The athletes are parkour stars Robbie Griffith and Johnstone Macpherson Stewart and street trial bike riders Duncan Shaw and Ali Clarkson, known for their riding with YouTube sensation Danny Macaskill.
The film was shot over three days and shows the athletes racing from Edinburgh Castle to Arthur’s Seat performing a variety of stunts, acrobatics and tricks on their route.
The video has been a hit amongst audiences globally with a reach of over 7 million already across Facebook and YouTube, with many admiring the city showcased through the eyes of urban sport athletes.
DevinSupertramp will be releasing a more laid-back film tomorrow Friday 1 December featuring the Highlands of Scotland filmed in ultra-high-definition 8k.
Other matches that have been made so far in the project include:
- US YouTuber Mike Corey who was paired with Scallop Diver Guy Grieve on the Isle of Mull
- Canadian YouTubers Samuel and Audrey who were paired with Highland Games official Alan Pettigrew
- YouTuber and Outlander fan Sasha Alsberg who was paired with Herbalist and adviser to the Outlander series,Claire Mackay (local film coming soon)
- YouTuber and ‘Potterhead’ Tessa Netting who was paired with an Edinburgh University student and member of theHarry Potter Society (coming soon)
Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive said: “Our #ScotSpirit campaign has been one of our most successful to date with millions of people embracing the hashtag and content we have created globally and understanding the true meaning of what the spirit of Scotland is – whether it is felt through experiencing our landscapes, meeting our people or visiting any of our amazing and unique events and attractions.
“With Scotland: Life, we wanted to extend that feeling further and give YouTubers and Instagrammers a never-seen-before insight into what it is really like to live, work and study in Scotland.
“We look forward to welcoming many more social media influencers over the coming months to meet our inspirational locals and showcase the rich assets, hidden gems and local stories in every region of Scotland”
To find out more about VisitScotland’s Scotland:Life project and discover films and itineraries click here.
Use the hashtag #ScotLife and #ScotSpirit to encounter more across social media channels.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
