Manitoba tourism ads eerily similar to N.L.'s

Manitoba has introduced a series of tourism spots that bear a striking resemblance to Newfoundland and Labrador's Find Yourself tourism campaign, which started in 2006.

The music, the style, and even the pacing mirror the Atlantic province's ads, designed to lure tourists to the east.

"I'm not surprised they're imitating us," said Terry French, Newfoundland and Labrador's minister of tourism, culture and recreation.

French said he isn't upset by the similarity, and that it is flattering more than anything else.

"That's what people do when they think you're getting an edge. Our brand is well established … [and] strong enough to weather it and we're very proud," he said.

"I can't blame the rest of the country for following our lead. Our successes [with this] are well documented."

People in Newfoundland and Labrador said they weren't surprised that another province would want to emulate the ads.

"[It's] a bit of Newfie envy, I guess. We've got a lot of stuff going on, a lot of culture, a lot of growth, and I guess a lot of people want a piece of that cake," said Newfoundlander Chris Ryan.

French said the province intends to move forward with different campaigns.

"They can do their own thing. If they want to look in the rear-view mirror, that's fine, but this province certainly doesn't operate that way," French said. 

"We look straight ahead, and that's where we're going."

Newfoundland and Labrador's campaign has received 209 national and international awards.