SRI LANKA – Great Big Story in partnership with Sri Lanka Tourism Bureau takes its viewers on a cinematic journey exploring the natural and cultural wonders of Sri Lanka. Much in sync with the country’s diversity, this mini-series will bring forth the country’s culture and heritage.
Spearheaded by CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) this partnership also includes commercials produced by CNNIC’s global brand studio Create which will showcase what Sri Lanka has to offer its visitors; highlighting the country’s nature, wildlife and culture. The Great Big Story mini-series will run across multiple platforms and social accounts reaching over 10 million fans, followers and global travellers.
Commenting on the partnership, Sunita Rajan, CNN International’s Senior Vice President Advertising Sales said “We are thrilled to join hands with Sri Lanka Tourism to create an exhilarating nation branding campaign. Our key focus is to produce engaging content that brings Sri Lanka’s travel experiences to life. The power of this collaboration lies in rich storytelling, adept branded content, clever targeting and the engagement that CNN and Great Big Story has with its audience.”
John E Amaratunga, Honourable Minister of Tourism Development & Christian Religious Affairs, Sri Lanka said “We are looking forward to showcasing the hidden gems of Sri Lanka that are beautiful and undiscovered. We want the world to witness the culture and heritage that Sri Lanka nurtures. Our association with CNN International Commercial is a great step towards showcasing the cultural ethos of Sri Lanka, through varied platforms that this partnership comprises. Through Great Big Story’s compelling story telling we are looking forward to reaching out to diverse audiences worldwide.”
In this three-part mini-series Great Big Story journeys through Sri Lanka to explore:
Dambulla: the famous town of Dambulla is popularly known for its cave temple complex which has been around for 22 centuries and is filled with over 1,500 paintings and 55 statues of Buddha. This Great Big Story will take you on a journey to discover the beautiful ancient caves.
The Fire Dancers: The Kandy Esala Perahera dance is a grand festival celebrated with elegant costumes and awe-inspiring performances. One of the most exciting traditional local dances includes “The South Ceylon” a choreographed fire dance. Fire dancers show their power over the fire and evil spirits which protects them from harm’s way.
The Mangrove Master: Many families rely on the plush mangroves in Western Sri Lanka as a major resource, but the mangroves have slowly been depleted in size and nutrients. Meet the fisherman taking the mangroves back to their former glory. His name is Douglas Thisera, but he is known around the community as the Mangrove Master. He has spent the last 16 years replanting and conserving the mangroves and has built an army of community activists. Together they have planted 170,000 saplings covering an area of 860 hectares in the district.
Check out the first Great Big Story from the mini-series on Dambulla
About CNN International Commercial
CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) is the division of Turner International responsible for the business operations of CNN’s properties outside of the United States. All the commercial activities for brands such as CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Arabic, CNN Style, CNNMoney and Great Big Story are aligned within the division. This encompasses the advertising sales, sponsorship partnerships, commercial content development, content sales, brand licensing, distribution and out-of-home operations, business development and marketing for the world’s leading international news provider. CNNIC is a recognised industry leader in international advertising sales and its use of award-winning commercial content, produced through its Create unit and driven by its advanced data usage and digital capabilities, has resulted in strong and enduring partnerships with many of the world’s most recognised brands. Its Content Sales and Licensing unit has relationships with more than 1000 affiliates ranging from licensing the CNN brand through to content supply contracts as well as offering consultancy services. CNNIC has offices across the world, with key hubs in London, Hong Kong and Miami. For more information visit http://commercial.cnn.com
About Great Big Story
Great Big Story is a global media company devoted to cinematic storytelling. Headquartered in New York, with bureaus in London and Stockholm, our studios create and distribute micro docs and short films, as well as series for digital, social, TV and theatrical release. Since our launch in late 2015, our producers have traveled to 100 countries to discover the untold, the overlooked and the flat-out amazing. Our stories engage and inspire tens of millions daily. For more information, visit www.greatbigstory.com
