LI director Karina Petersone said the video “will remind all of the EU about the things and values we should be proud of and sharing with the world. We tried to show our strength of spirit, our can-do ability and what we’ve been given that others haven’t.”
She added that on the heels of Riga’s tenure as Capital of Culture, the presidency of the EU Council “is our next solemn responsibility. The video message depicts Latvia as a nation that will play its role during the presidency with trust and honor.”
The target audience for the video is foreigners in general, however the first to watch the campaign launch clip have been members of Riga’s own foreign resident community – embassy officials, business reps as well as locals who wish to give a short first impression about Latvia to outsiders.
It will be shown as a “lyrical interlude” to foreign delegations, politicians and diplomats who will take part in the decision-making process during Latvia’s presiding over the Council of the EU. The video has already been making these rounds since July 1, when the current Trio of the Presidency, which Latvia shares with Italy and Luxembourg, took over with a ceremony marked in Jurmala as Italy assumed the both ceremonial and agenda-setting lead role first.
The Procurements Supervisory Bureau (IUB) records the tender “for the filming and preparation of a video for fostering Latvia’s positive recognition” as totaling just under €50,000 and going to winning creative agency Mooz, headed by controversial political advertising consultant Eriks Stendzenieks. A second video about Latvia, with less emphasis on its presidency, will follow under the auspices of the tender at a later date.
