More than 30 million video views online is a ‘gift that’s literally fallen into South Africa’s lap’

(TRAVPR.COM) SOUTH AFRICA - December 21st, 2011 - PARADISE, THE MUSIC VIDEO of global rock supergroup Coldplay that was shot on location in Cape Town, Johannesburg and the South African Karoo has attracted more than 30 millionviews on social media channel, YouTube. It’s a level of global popularity that South African Tourism wants to capitalise on to drive awareness of the paradise-like beauty of this destination and to encourage more people to take Coldplay’s South African inspiration and turn it into a holiday in the most beautiful destination in the world.

From now on, anyone who surfs the Paradise music video on YouTube will beinvited to tell South African Tourism (via a dedicated FaceBook page) what part of South Africa gives them inspiration in the same way that the destinationinspired Paradise producer, Mat Whitecross, to travel to Jo’burg, the Karoo and to Cape Town to make the video that tells the story of one man’s escape from an inner city into the vast and breathtaking beauty of South Africa.

Except, of course, it’s not a man who makes this escape. It’s Coldplay frontman Chris Martin dressed as an elephant and riding a unicycle. “You have to watch the video to understand the story. But then, with more than 30 million views onYouTube, I guess most people have watched the video,” says Mqondisi Gumede, online marketing specialist at South African Tourism.

YouTube surfers will be given the opportunity to follow Coldplay’s lead and share a story of their SA Paradise by answering the question: “If the Karoo is Coldplay’s Paradise, where in South Africa is your own Paradise?” A link takes web surfers to a South African Tourism FaceBook page where they can very easily upload stories, pictures, videos or a combination of these to tell the world of their favourite South African experience and place.

In time, South African Tourism will shortlist the ten most imaginative, heartfelt, fun and spontaneous submissions, and these will be put to popular vote to decide the best submission of all. The person’s whose submission is voted best will win a five day all-expenses paid trip to South Africa or, for South Africans, an amazing holiday in South Africa fully paid for by South African Tourism.

“South Africa,” Gumede says, “is an online and social media superstar. Our destination attracts attention on YouTube like few other destinations in the world. It started off years ago with the Battle of Kruger video which has won numerous awards and has attracted more than 64 million online views. Then this year Cape Town was named best destination in the world by the 50 million users of world’s largest travel site, Trip Advisor. And now South Africa enjoys Coldplay’s label of Paradise adding further weight to what millions around the world have found through an unforgettable experience in South Africa.

It comes as no surprise that Coldplay chose South Africa as a location for the Paradise shoot as the beauty of the Karoo and of Cape Town is literally breathtaking and unrivalled in gorgeousness by no other place on earth. “It’s quite, quite unique... an environment that’s both wild and unspoiled, yet has a rich and capable tourist infrastructure where visitors are both well catered for andwarmly welcomed with a culture of friendliness and hospitality that’s unique to this very special part of the world.”

Coldplay’s Paradise was shot over two days in October. The storyline of the video was conceptualised by frontman, Chris Martin. The song was released on September 12 for internet download and has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Pop/Due Group Performance. It did especially well in the US (Alternative Billboard, peaking at no 1 and no 3 on the US Rock Billboard);France (no 8); Netherlands (no 2); and the UK Singles Billboard (no 7).

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