Wow Philippines (stylized as WOW Philippines) was a tourism

marketing campaign Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...

used to promote

tourism in the Philippines Tourism is an important sector for the Philippine economy. The travel and tourism industry contributed 8.6% to the country's GDP in 2023; this was lower than the 12.7% recorded in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns. Coastal tourism, encompa ...

from 2002 to 2012. The name of the campaign also served as its

tagline In entertainment, a tagline (alternatively spelled tag line) is a short text which serves to clarify a thought for, or is designed with a form of, dramatic effect. Many tagline slogans are reiterated phrases associated with an individual, so ...

Background

Then Department of Tourism secretary Richard Gordon conceptualized the tagline "Wow Philippines" himself in 2002. The government agency then had a limited budget allotted for advertising. The promotional campaign was based on the 24-month Visit Philippines 2003 campaign by the

World Tourism Organization The United Nations World Tourism Organization or UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which promotes responsible, sustainable and universally-accessible tourism. Its headquarters are in Madrid, Spain. Othe ...

which aimed to encourage the

Filipino diaspora An overseas Filipino () is a person of full or partial Filipino origin who trace their ancestry back to the Philippines but are living and working outside of the country. This term generally applies to both people of Filipino ancestry and cit ...

to visit tourism sites in the Philippines. The Department of Tourism (DOT) then commissioned advertising firm BBDO Guerrero for the implementation of the campaign. This includes the coming up with promotional materials and the addition of "More than the Usual" as a sub slogan. Also the "Wow" of the campaign slogan is meant to be capitalized which doubles as an acronym. The meaning of the acronym varies depending on the usage of the slogan according to the government agency. The following are some possible meanings given by the DOT are the following: *Wealth of Wonders - tourist attractions *Warm Over Winter - beaches *Wild Over Water - water-based adventures *Wacko Over Wildlife - indigenous flora and fauna *Wear Our Wares *Watch Our Whales *Walk Our Walls -

Intramuros Intramuros () is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila. Intramuros comprises a centuries-old hist ...

Impact and legacy

From 2003 to 2005, several tourism campaigns were conceptualized which include "Biyahe Tayo" (

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...

and Perceptions Inc.), "I Love Philippines Biyahe Na!" (

Smart ''SMart'' was a British CBBC television programme based on art, which began in 1994 and ended in 2009. The programme was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London. Previously it had been recorded in Studio A at Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingha ...

) and "Pilipino sa Turismo'y Aktibo" (

Philippine Tourism Authority The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), formerly the Philippine Tourism Authority (), is an agency of the Philippine national government under the Department of Tourism responsible for implementing policies and progr ...

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN is a leading Philippine media and content company. It serves as the flagship media brand of ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Once the country's largest free-to-air television network, ABS-CBN has since ...

and

Star Music Star Music (also known as Star Records and corporately as Star Recording, Inc.) is a Philippine record label owned and operated by ABS-CBN Corporation. It was formerly a separate company operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corpora ...

). The following personalities from the entertainment and political field lent their popularity to promote tourism to mainstream audiences during that time: *

Freddie Aguilar Ferdinand "Freddie" Pascual Aguilar (; February 5, 1953 – May 27, 2025), also known by his Muslim name Abdul Farid, was a Filipino musician regarded as one of the pillars and icons of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). He was best known for his i ...

Sharon Cuneta Sharon Gamboa Cuneta-Pangilinan (born January 6, 1966) is a Filipino actress, singer, and television personality. Prolific in multiple fields of entertainment, she is known for playing dramatic and comedic leading roles in film and television. ...

Ogie Alcasid Herminio Jose Lualhati "Ogie" Alcasid Jr. (born August 27, 1967) is a Filipino actor, singer, songwriter, comedian, director and producer. He is best known for his songwriting and collaboration with other musical artists. He has appeared in fi ...

Janno Gibbs Janno Ronaldo Ilagan Gibbs (born September 16, 1969) is a Filipino singer, songwriter, comedian and actor. He was a regular host of GMA Network television shows '' SOP Rules'', '' Nuts Entertainment'', ''Eat Bulaga!'', '' Kakasa Ka Ba Sa Grad ...

Joey Ayala José Íñigo Homer Lacambra Ayala (born June 1, 1956), professionally known as Joey Ayala, is a Filipino singer, songwriter and former chairman of the music committee of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. He is well known for his ...

Rey Valera Reynaldo Valera Guardiano (; born May 4, 1954), better known as Rey Valera, is a Filipino singer, songwriter, music director, film scorer, and television host. He wrote and produced songs that were recorded by various singers, most notably Shar ...

* APO Hiking Society *

Jolina Magdangal Maria Jolina Perez Magdangal (; born November 6, 1978) is a Filipino singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Philippine Pop Culture", she is credited for heavily inf ...

Lea Salonga Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, ( ; born February 22, 1971) is a Filipino singer and actress. Known primarily for her work in theatre, she has starred in musicals on Broadway and in the West End. Her accolades include a Tony Award and a L ...

Jessa Zaragoza Richelle Ann Mallari Loyola-Avanzado (born January 31, 1979), better known by her stage name Jessa Zaragoza, is a Filipino commercial model, singer and actress. She is known as the "Phenomenal Diva" and "Jukebox Queen of the 90s" for her first ...

Francis Magalona Francis Michael Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known as Francis M, was a Filipino rapper, songwriter, and actor. He is regarded as an influential figure in Pinoy hip hop. Magalona was a son of actors Pancho Maga ...

Rico J. Puno Enrico de Jesus Puno (; February 13, 1953 – October 30, 2018), better known as Rico J. Puno (), was a Filipino singer, television host, actor, comedian and politician. He was considered as a music icon in the Philippines. He started the trend ...

April Boy Regino Dennis Magloyuan Regino (April 9, 1961 – November 29, 2020), known professionally as April Boy Regino (), was a Filipino singer, songwriter, and actor who popularized ballads such as "Paano ang Puso ko", "Umiiyak ang Puso ko't Sumisigaw" an ...

*Paolo Santos *

Nina Nina may refer to: * Nina (name), a feminine given name and surname Acronyms *National Iraqi News Agency, a news service in Iraq *Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, on the campus of Norwegian University of Science and Technology *No income, ...

*John Lesaca *

Rico Blanco Rico Rene Granados Blanco (born March 17, 1973) is a Filipino singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actor, endorser and entrepreneur. He began his career as one of the founding members, and served as the chief songwriter, ...

*Jong Cuenco *Mike Villegas *

Regine Velasquez-Alcasid Regina Encarnacion "Regine" Ansong Velasquez-Alcasid ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipino singer and actress. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and beltin ...

Gary Valenciano Edgardo Jose "Gary" Santiago Valenciano (born August 6, 1964) is a Filipino singer and actor. Known for his musical versatility and performances, he is a recipient of various accolades, including 12 Awit Awards, 3 FAMAS Awards and the Myx ...

Jamie Rivera Mary Jane Cruz-Mendoza (; born August 29, 1966), known professionally as Jamie Rivera (), is a pop singer from the Philippines and also known as the Inspirational Diva. Since her post-EDSA Revolution debut album ''Hey It's Me'', Rivera has had ...

Ai-Ai delas Alas Martina Eileen Hernandez delas Alas-Sibayan (born November 11, 1964), known professionally as Ai-Ai delas Alas, is a Filipino actress and comedian. Referred to as the "Queen of Comedy" for her comedic talent, she is best known for her role as ...

Piolo Pascual Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual (, born January 12, 1977) is a Filipino actor, model, singer, television host, comedian and film producer. Pascual began a career in 1993 after landing a bit role in the film ''The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help ...

Heart Evangelista Love Marie Payawal Ongpauco-Escudero (born February 14, 1985) known professionally as Heart Evangelista, is a Filipino actress. She is currently an exclusive artist of GMA Network represented by Alice Talents Agency in Paris, France and Direct ...

Vhong Navarro Ferdinand Hipolito "Vhong" Navarro (born January 4, 1977), is a Filipino comedian, actor, dancer, recording artist, and television host. He is known for his comedic performances in films such as '' Mr. Suave'' (2003), '' Gagamboy'' (2004), and ...

Erik Santos Rhoderick Ramos Santos (born October 10, 1982) is a Filipino singer. He rose to prominence after winning the reality talent competition '' Star in a Million'' in 2003. He has been referred to as the “King of Pinoy Teleserye Theme Songs.” Hi ...

Sheryn Regis Sheryn Mae Poncardas Regis (; born November 26, 1980) is a Filipino singer and songwriter. She rose to fame after finishing as first runner-up of the television talent show ''Search for the Star in a Million, Star in a Million'' in 2003. Dubbed ...

Karel Marquez Karla Ysabel Marquez-Fariñas (born December 21, 1986), professionally known as Karel Marquez-Fariñas, is a Filipina actress, model, singer, and TV host who's currently signed under manager, Becky Aguila since July 2017. Before she joined GMA ...

*Frenchie Dy *Raki Vega *

Ella May Saison Ella May Saison (also credited as Ella Mae Saison) is a Filipino people, Filipino singer referred as the original ''Philippine Queen of Soul''. Career Saison began her recording career at age 19. Prior to landing a recording contract, she was a s ...

Lito Camo Lito Camo (born March 12, 1972) is a Filipino singer, songwriter, and actor. He is best known for composing numerous novelty songs for various artists such as "Bakit Papa? Tawag mo ako?", "Spaghetti Song", "Bulaklak", "Wowowee", "Boom Tarat Tara ...

Angelica Jones Angelica Banaag Alarva (born January 20, 1983), better known by her stage name Angelica Jones, is a Filipino singer, actress and politician. She is also known as the singer who sang the novelty song "Miss Flawless". Personal life She was born a ...

Sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

Gloc-9 Aristotle Condenuevo Pollisco (born October 18, 1977), known professionally as Gloc-9, is a Filipino Rapping, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as one of the best Filipino rappers of all time, his fast-flowing Chopper (rap), chopper v ...

*Akafellas *Marinel Santos *

Dianne dela Fuente Diane Soberano Manlosa-Tiongson (born November 18, 1981), professionally known as Dianne dela Fuente, is a Filipino actress and singer. Life and career Dianne dela Fuente was born ''Diana Soberano Manlosa'' to parents Celia and Filemon. She has ...

*Maoui David *Michelle Ayalde *Aliyah Parcs *

Josh Santana Michael Alexander Alvarez Pamular, better known by his stage name Josh Santana (born 18 June 1983), is a Filipino medical doctor and former television actor and singer. Early life Santana was born on 18 June 1983 in Metro Manila, Philippines to ...

*Divo Bayer *

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

*Jonathan Badon *Michael Cruz *Johann Escanan *

Jericho Rosales Jericho Vibar Rosales (; born September 22, 1979), also known as Echo, is a Filipino actor, singer, songwriter and film producer. Known primarily for his leading man roles in romantic drama, he has starred in some of the most distributed Phil ...

(speaking only) *

Jiro Manio Jiro Manio (born 9 May 1992) is a Filipino former actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the title character in the drama film ''Magnifico'' (2003), for which he won the Gawad Urian for Best Actor at age 12, making him the youngest-ever ...

(speaking only) *

Roderick Paulate Roderick Mendenilla Paulate (, born April 4, 1960) is a Filipino actor, TV host, comedian and former politician. Paulate had previously hosted TV shows like ''Vilma On 7'', ''Tonight With Dick & Carmi'', ''Magandang Tanghali Bayan'', and ''The ...

(speaking only) *

Kris Aquino Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino (; born February 14, 1971) is a Filipino retired television presenter, actress, talent manager and film producer. She notably appeared as Princess Intan in the acclaimed '' Crazy Rich Asians'' and is a rec ...

(speaking only) *

Claudine Barretto Claudine Margaret Castelo Barretto (; born July 20, 1979) is a Filipino actress, who made her screen debut on the youth-oriented variety show, '' Ang TV''. She became a mainstay in several sitcoms, including ''Home Along Da Riles'', ''Oki Dok ...

(speaking only) *

Kuh Ledesma Maria Socorro "Kuh" Hashim Ledesma (born March 16, 1955) is a Filipino singer and actress. Regarded as “''OPM's'' ''Pop Chanteuse''”, she is noted for her "masterful" and "rich distinct vocal style." With a career spanning over 40 years, L ...

(speaking only) *

Charo Santos-Concio María Rosario "Charo" Navarro Santos-Concio (; born October 27, 1955) is a Filipino actress and former media executive. She is the host of , the longest running television drama anthology in the Philippines. From 2012 to 2016, she was the ch ...

(speaking only) *

Dolphy Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr. (July 25, 1928 – July 10, 2012), known professionally as Dolphy, was a Filipino comedian and actor. He is widely regarded as the country's "King of Comedy" for his comedic talent embodied by his long roster of works ...

(speaking only) *Robert Dean S. Barbers (speaking only) *

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...

(speaking only) Between 2007 and 2012, foreign visits in the Philippines increased from about 3 million to 4.27 million. The campaign also generated 2,800-4,000 jobs. A remake of "Biyahe Tayo" was produced in 2011 and was re-titled as "Pilipinas, Tara Na!" and also had expanded lyrics with the addition of other artists including

Pepe Smith Joseph William Feliciano Smith (December 25, 1947 – January 28, 2019) was a Filipino-American singer-songwriter, drummer and guitarist. Known by his stage names Joey Smith and Pepe Smith, he gained prominence as drummer / lead vocalist of Sp ...

Zsa Zsa Padilla Esperanza "Zsa Zsa" Perez Padilla (born May 28, 1964) is a Filipino singer, actress, television host, music producer and businesswoman. Referred to as the "''Divine Diva''", Padilla is recognized as one of the top female recording artists in th ...

Martin Nievera Martin Ramon Razon Nievera (born February 5, 1963) is a Filipino singer and songwriter. Known for his contemporary love ballads and on-stage personality, he is celebrated as one of the most important figures in local Filipino music. With a care ...

, Jaya,

Kitchie Nadal Anna Katrina "Kitchie" Dumilon Nadal (born September 16, 1980) is a Filipina singer-songwriter who was formerly the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band, Mojofly. Her popularity in the female OPM niche grew after she released a self- ...

Kyla Kyla may refer to: *Kyla (given name) Kyla is a female given name. It is a derivative of the originally Irish and Scottish Gaels, Gaelic Kyle (given name), ''Kyle''. Kyla may refer to: Music * Kyla (Filipino singer), Filipino R&B singer Melani ...

Jay R Gaudencio Sillona III (born February 1, 1981), known professionally as Jay R, is a Filipino-AmericanRicky Lo (April 11, 2004)Jay R: The Heart of The Hunk, ''The Philippine Star'' singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and model. In 2003, ...

Christian Bautista Christian Joseph Morata Bautista (born October 19, 1981) is a Filipino singer, host, and model. He was a finalist of '' Star in a Million'', a Philippine reality show aired on ABS-CBN channel, winning 4th place in the competition in 2003. Af ...

Billy Crawford Billy Joe Ledesma Crawford (born May 16, 1982) is a Filipino actor and singer. Crawford is a recipient of a NRJ Music Awards, a FAMAS Award and a special Aning Dangal award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Crawfor ...

Aiza Seguerra Ice Seguerra (born Cariza Yamson Seguerra; 17 September 1983), formerly Aiza Seguerra, is a Filipino actor, singer-songwriter, director and guitarist. Initially coming out as a lesbian in 2007, Seguerra also came out as a transgender man i ...

Nikki Gil Monica Pauline "Nikki" Santos Gil-Albert (; born August 23, 1987) is a Filipino singer, actress, host, model, and video jockey. She is known for being part of the afternoon remake of '' Carlo J. Caparas' Pieta'' (2008–2009) and, in 2009, f ...

Yeng Constantino Josephine "Yeng" Eusebio Constantino-Asuncion (born December 4, 1988) is a Filipino singer, songwriter, composer and guitarist. She is referred to as the ''Philippines Pop Rock Royalty'' and is regarded as one of the biggest hitmakers in Ph ...

and

Sam Concepcion Samuel Lawrence Lopez Concepcion (born October 17, 1992) is a Filipino people, Filipino singer, dancer, actor, VJ (media personality), VJ and host. in April 2006 Concepcion won the Big Division in the first season of ''Little Big Star''. Conce ...

among others, with additional spoken parts from

and

Manny Pacquiao Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. ( ; ; born December17, 1978) is a Filipino politician, businessman, and professional boxer. Nicknamed "PacMan", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He previously serv ...

. A few of the artists were absorbed from the original version such as Gibbs, Alcasid,

Jim Paredes Jaime Ramon Misa Paredes (born August 30, 1951), better known simply as Jim Paredes, is a Filipino singer, songwriter, television host, writer and actor. He is known as one of the members of popular musical trio APO Hiking Society along with ...

and

Boboy Garovillo Jose Teves Garrovillo Jr. (born October 10, 1951), better known as Boboy Garrovillo, is a Filipino actor and musician. He is known as one of the members of the popular musical trio APO Hiking Society along with Danny Javier and Jim Paredes. He ...

(of the APO Hiking Society) and Villegas.

Reception

In 2003, the Wow Philippines campaign was named as the Best Marketing Effort of a National Tourism Organization in the overall category in 2002 at the Internationale Tourismus Bourse.

References

External links

*{{Official Website, https://web.archive.org/web/20041127074435/http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/ (Archived) 2002 in the Philippines Philippine tourism campaigns Filipino advertising slogans 2002 neologisms 2002 establishments 2012 disestablishments Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Presidency of Benigno Aquino III Department of Tourism (Philippines)

Background

Impact and legacy

Reception

See also

References

External links