One of the six success indicators in Bermuda’s tourism plan is to increase African American travel to the island. In order to showcase the overall appeal of Bermuda to the African American audience, TURNER and the Bermuda Tourism Authority worked with a celebrity macro-influencer with significant engagement in this area — actor/activist/model Yara Shahidi. Shahidi has amassed a large social platform and uses her presence in both the fashion and film industry to advocate for social change. On Instagram, she has 4.5 million followers; on Twitter, close to 450,000 followers.
For several days, the Bermuda Tourism Authority and TURNER hosted Shahidi and her family on the island. Inspired by the unique cultures and genuine hospitality of Bermuda, the group had “the time of their lives” taking in the life and energy of the island. The family explored the historic Town of St. George with local guide and storyteller Kristin White, enjoyed the local flavors on an exclusive foraging tour with Doreen Williams James, discovered secluded beach spots throughout Bermuda, and enjoyed true Bermudian hospitality at The Loren at Pink Beach. Along the way, Yara and co. sampled local delicacies at such island favorites as Marcus’, Sweet Saak Bakery, Bolero Bistro, Wahoo’s Bistro and other Bermuda restaurants.
Leveraging an existing relationship with Yara, her mother and her publicist, TURNER was able to coordinate the trip seamlessly, identifying the appropriate activities for Yara and her family’s visit to Bermuda.
During and after their Bermuda trip, the family posted content across all of their channels netting more than 24 million views and countless comments from African American celebrities like Taraji Henson and Naomi Campbell. Yara devoted an entire episode on IGTV (Instagram TV) to the trip, which essentially amounted to a love letter to Bermuda. TURNER leveraged the family’s content and vacation details for coverage from high viewership outlets like People, US, E! and EXTRA, New York Post’s Page Six, driving even more eyeballs for total impressions of over 20 million. In 2021, the campaign earned an Adrian Award in Digital Marketing.