Does the DR have any popular music "stars"?

Hlywud

Hlywud

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Jan 1, 2002
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I would hope that there are good music stars in the DR.
So why would the government be hiring a Columbian pop star to do a promo video of the Dominican Republic?
Absolutely no sense at all.:confused:
Sure Shakira is a pretty face but I am sure there are many Dominican pretty faces with talent that could do the job as well.
 
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Theresa

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Jan 16, 2002
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I remember watching the JLG promos for Barcelo but that was a really really long time ago. The Travel chanel show promos for the DR all the time, I think the motto is "My kind of place". But they don't have a famous person promoting it. Shakira is probably spending crazy amounts of $$ there for her preparation, but I don't think she should be the one either. I vote for Criss Colon.:cool:
 
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Criss Colon

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Thank you for your suggestion Theresa!

I don't know if I can give as much,"Bang-for-the-buck" as Shakira does!"Pound-for-pound" I have her beat hands down! Hollywud,guess you don't understand the advertising game very well,its all amout "Product" and "Name" recognition.American Pop Stars are the spokespersons for all kinds of products all over the world.When I lived in Japan,Thaiwan,the Philipines,and Thailand I never saw a "cigarette" commercial that didn't feature an American TV/Movie star.Shakira is a great choice.She is bilingual,great looking,young,and a rapidly rising "Star" on the US Pop Charts/concert circuit.She also has ,something that no Dominican singer has,name and face recognition! If the Dominican Tourist industry is looking to attract young Americans,why would they use a Dominican ,unknown except by a few million poor dominicans as their spokesperson?CRISCO
 
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jojocho

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Jul 10, 2002
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The key word is RECOGNIZABLE

We have plenty of great musicians, but almost all of them lack the popularity that someone like Shakira has. Pedro Martinez and Sammy Sosa were part of a couple of campaigns led by the Ministry ff Tourism, but I'm sure even they lack the popularity that Shakira currently has in the US.
 
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Musicqueen

Miami Nice!
Jan 31, 2002
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I agree with Wud!!!

There are plenty of recognizable music stars in the DR!

Recognized by a "few million poor dominicans", Criss?

What's the point of the campaign? TO GET TO KNOW THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC...RIGHT?

So what has a Colombian got to do with promoting the country?

I say to get all the popular merengue bands (typical DR music!) like To?o, Sergio, and the most popular here in the US like: Kinito, Oro S?lido, Fulanito etc...and do a video with them...showing the REAL people, not some stranger...just because she's beautiful and popular...IT'S NOT RIGHT!!! :mad:

(And please don't anybody start with the "crap" that these people I mentioned can't sing or that their songs are not considered good music, that IS the music of the DR, and that's what the people that travel to the country hear while they're there!)
 
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jojocho

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MQ,

Though I agree that the people you have mentioned are true representatives of our culture and good musicians , I'm pretty sure that 90% of US citizens have no idea of who the hell Sergio Vargas or El Cuco are.

I understand that these figures would be much better choices than Shakira if we wanted to show what the dominican culture is all about. But the MAIN purpose of these add campains is not to show people the dominican culture, but to increase the flow of US tourists to our amazing island, where they WILL have to opportunity to experience our wonderful culture.

You have to understand that the tourism industry is not at its best moment, and occupancy rates at most hotels is pretty low. Most of our tourists come from Europe and we (as a country) have not been able to really capture the American market.

So if it takes a video with Shakira in a g-string sunbathing in Punta Cana to convince our american friends to come and visit I say ...... BRING IT ON!!!!

Once they're here we'll make sure they learn to eat sancocho and dance El Culiquitaca!! ;)
 
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Criss Colon

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"MQ" and Trina are responding with your hearts,and not your brains

If you know and love the DR,even with all its "warts",you say lets show the World the wonderful people,music,and Culture of our beloved "Republica Dominicana"! Nice sentiment,not good business.You have to get your message seen and heard.You can't separate your 30 second TV "spot" from all the other "noise" on the TV by having "Tono" play merengue! The "Merengueros" of the world alredy know and love "Tono" and the DR!You are looking to attract the 18 to 25 year olds to come on "Spring Break"and spend their money.Shakira gets their attention.They think that if she likes to go to the DR to PARTY,with all her money,it must be a cool place to go "Hang Out"!No "MQ" the point is not to "Get to know the Dominican Republic".The point is to get young tourists from the US to come to a "Cool" place to enjoy the beach,drink,and "Chill" for a week or two.These tourists don't care beans about where they go,or how nice the people are.They bring their own friends with them.A beach is a beach is a beach.They don't care if the drinks are seved by a Dominican,or a Jamaican!So inorder for the "Spots" about the DR to stand out from the crowd of "Islands" looking for vacationers they made a very good business decision by using Shakira.CRISCO
 
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AnnaC

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Jan 2, 2002
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I have to agree with Criss on this one. (Did I say that?) :) But seriously, think advertising, if your trying to attract a new breed of tourist you have to use someone who is well known all over the world. Yes we all HERE on the DR1 know and love Dominican music and musicians but most of the world would not know who they are. Sammy? Well if your not a baseball fan, you could care less what he has to say.
Picture this:
The promoters of the DR went to an advertising agency and said. We need the world and especially the U.S. to know about our wonderful Island. Do you think the agency would say, ok let's go with "Tono" (for example).... Who?????
We need to get them down there first, then they will know the music (just as we did).

Edited to add..it's the third party thing. You can't tell others how wonderful your own country is. But if it comes from a third party it comes across a little different and if your young and beautiful, it helps too ;)
 
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Theresa

Vettehead from Buckhead
Jan 16, 2002
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Well, if you look at it that way, can they as least put Ricky Martin or Enrique Iglesias in the commerical so us women have something to look at instead of Shakira's bon bon ;)
 
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Musicqueen

Miami Nice!
Jan 31, 2002
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There...here we go again!!!

I get the point Criss and Anna, but I still think it's wrong!!!
And There...I would rather have a "hot" looking "sankie" in the commercial than those two!!!
That would be more attractive to me and would get me to go to the island!!!;)
 
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Theresa

Vettehead from Buckhead
Jan 16, 2002
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Alright then, I have the solution, lets get Alex Rodriguez in the commercial. A-Rod is famous, georgeous, young, and has a nicer a** then Shakira AND is born to Dominican parents.:laugh:
 
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jose?to

The thread finally snapped...
Jun 19, 2002
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Good insight, Ms. Coniglio! Third party promo works. And besides, American kids know that Shakira is 'latina', but could care less which country she comes from. After all, aren't we all Mexicans? or P.Ricans or something? No insult intended, but just seen a MLB commercial where the actor says that when he was a kid there were only American and Mexican baseball players, but now they have Ichiro and the likes. Did he say Mexican?
The point is that the intended audience does not care that Shakira is not Dominican, but she comes from one of those Mexican countries, or something...

Let's be glad they did not use Enrique "If Charlie Sheen can do it so can I" Iglesias.
 
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Musicqueen

Miami Nice!
Jan 31, 2002
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Once again...

...Theresa has the best idea...she WINS!!!

I'm all for A-Rod doing the commercial to promote the island!!!

I want to see him in a bathing suit though...he's got an awesome physique!!!

There...I used to produce videos...you want to be my assistant? I'll pitch the idea to the Tourism board...and if A-Rod accepts..I won't even charge them to do the video!!!;)
 
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Jersey Devil

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Jul 5, 2002
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Bill Clinton

Isn't Bill Clinton the most recognizable out of work actor available?
He loves the DR, and of course, the women!
I say Bill Clinton can do for the DR, what he did for cigars!
Slick Willy, yeah, I like it.

Peace
 
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Theresa

Vettehead from Buckhead
Jan 16, 2002
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Unfortunately, the ugly stick got Bill Clinton.. unlike A-baby below.

MQ you could have told me that you were already seeing him, geeze..;)

YUK.jpeg
 
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mkohn

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Jan 1, 2002
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What demographics are they trying to attract? At my age, just slightly younger than dirt, I don't have any Shakira music.

Show me a variety of age groups, races, individuals, couples, in various situations like whale watching, kayaking, eating, sunning, romancing, dancing merengue, etc. that include the beaches, cibao and mountains. The background music, especially with those people dancing, should be latin, envigorating and inviting.

If they have to have a spokesperson, how about Antonio Banderas' bon bon dancing the Mambo with Shakira?

Once the tourists get there, make sure there are lots of opportunities to experience what they saw in the ad, AND to "learn" to dance to the best Dominican music, so they go home with a bunch of CDs and a fever they can't quench but with a Presidente as soon as they ... return.
IMHO
mk
 
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Tony C

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Jan 1, 2002
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If you are going to try to sell the DR as a tourism destination you have to apeal to a broad base.
If you show a 30 sec Add with Dominican Music stars such as Tono, Sergio, Kinito,Oro Solido, Fulanito ect. you are just going to turn off the vast majority of people.
I am not going to argue whether Merengue is good or not but the fact of the matter is that most Americans do not like Merengue, Salsa or most other types of latin Music. Every 15 years or so we hear of another Latin invasion and the it goes away. Even Shakira performs music that can hardly be called Latin.
I personally do not care for Shakira's current corporate pop incarnation but there is no question that she is much more popular than any Dominican Artists.

BTW Theresa.
Ricky Martin? Enrique Iglesias? ARod? What is the common thread running through these 3 men?
 
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