What does your country taste like?
We’re big on appealing to the senses to generate interest, drive trial and create advocacy. But usually, those tactics are for a product or service. Targeting the taste buds and stomachs of would-be vacationers, the folks in charge of driving tourism to the Nation of Singapore are using those same methods with a globally-touring pop-up kitchen.
Entitled Singapore Takeout, the mobile restaurant is on a nine-city tour featuring ten different chefs and 15 different food brands. At each stop on the tour, a prominent Singaporean chef will partner with a local guest chef to design and crate a menu that incorporates the best of the two cuisines, often as part of live culinary demonstrations.
While pop-up kitchens and the use of shipping containers is not new, the idea that regional cuisine is a driver behind vacation decisions is a wonderful angle. Of course, “foodies” near and far will clamor that their taste buds have driven their travel plans for some time. But this is a little different. Singapore is using their food culture to define the attitude of the nation in an effort they’re calling SPICE. (nice video after the jump)
Using food…and one layer deeper…taste, to personify the attitude and culture of the entire nation is fantastically creative. While most tourism commercials and efforts attempt to cram every aspect of the given country/state/city into a 30-second collage…the focus on food allows potential travelers to personalize their visions and customize their plans based not on landmarks or train schedules…but on a curated “gastro-journey”.