Essential Costa Rica

Sundance film festival attendees get a taste of costa rica’s “pura vida” experience.

  • Public Relations
    • Partnerships & Promotions
    • Experiential Marketing

Situation

Costa Rica has long been a popular tourist destination, but it suffered from misconceptions about its location and offerings. The Costa Rica Tourism Board wanted to break into another part of the travel community and garner brand awareness through press coverage and continued media relations. We were asked to bring a new experience to the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. We partnered with WanderLuxxe, a luxury membership concierge service, to bring Costa Rica’s vision to life.

Action

Sundance attendees experienced a taste of Costa Rica’s “pura vida,” meaning “full of life,” at the Wander Luxxe Filmmaker Lounge on Main Street. The lounge, presented by the Costa Rica Tourism Board, also hosted an array of performances, events and filmmaker panels, including discussions about diversity, women in entertainment and industry leaders. Tichina Arnold hosted a fireside chat at the lounge. Among the films that premiered were “Love, Antosha,” a documentary tribute to Anton Yelchin, and “Clemency” by director and screenwriter Chinonye Chukwu.

Festival goers enjoyed a respite from their festival schedules with wellness experiences throughout the weekend, including daily yoga led by Lululemon, a sauna, facials and massages, and a custom coffee bar serving authentic Costa Rican coffee, reflecting the destination’s long history of traditional and environmentally friendly coffee production.

To further highlight Costa Rican cuisine, chef Santiago Fernández Benedetto curated a VIP culinary experience for top-tier media. He began with a traditional cocktail, the agua de sapo mule, and served braised pork, potato enchiladas and wild fish caldosa. Chef Benedetto even roasted fresh cocoa beans to warm up festival goers with Costa Rican hot chocolate.

  • A young man adjusting a red and black hat on his head while wearing a black hoodie with a cartoon bear design.
  • Two staff preparing and serving tacos at a food station during an event, smiling at the camera.
  • A decorative floral arrangement over a fireplace with the hashtag '#PURA VIDA' at an event venue.
  • A group discussion at a diversity panel, with speakers seated and engaging with the audience.
  • A DJ adjusting settings on a music mixing console at a lively event.
A cozy coffee station at an event branded with 'Wanderluxe, Essential Costa Rica' featuring a pour-over coffee setup, with informational pamphlets and a vibrant display of indoor plants enhancing the tropical theme.
A cozy coffee station at an event branded with 'Wanderluxe, Essential Costa Rica' featuring a pour-over coffee setup, with informational pamphlets and a vibrant display of indoor plants enhancing the tropical theme. Two women practicing downward dog yoga pose on mats at an event, with a banner reading 'Wanderluxe, Essential Costa Rica' in the background, promoting a wellness and travel theme

Results

Representatives from more than 30 top-tier publications, including Page Six, Us Weekly, Forbes, Daily Mail and OK! magazine, attended the Costa Rica lounge, resulting in over 150 million media impressions with over $3 million in ad value.

 

Next Up
CELEBRATING TEXAS SPIRIT DURING COVID-19 TO UPLIFT AN ENTIRE NATION
Travel Texas
Close-up of vibrant and flavorful tacos filled with grilled chicken, fresh vegetables, and garnished with cilantro, showcasing the rich culinary traditions of Texas.