The United Kingdom is home to an incredible number of regional accents and dialects, which make the speaker’s origins almost instantly identifiable. VisitBritain, the national tourism agency of the U.K., has just launched a new online game called ‘Fake (Br)it Till You Make It‘ that allows players to test their ability to reproduce some of the country’s regional dialects. The game features AI technology and is part of VisitBritain’s branding efforts to showcase the diversity of accents across Britain.
The Astonishing Diversity of Regional Accents in the U.K.
Despite its small size compared to the U.S., the U.K. is a melting pot of cultural and linguistic diversity. Each area of the country, down to the county- and sometimes even city-specific level, has developed its own distinctive version of the English language. The U.K. is perhaps unique among nations for its incredible number of regional accents, which were also historically influenced by the additional layer of a long-held social caste structure. These varied vernaculars feature not only wide-ranging approaches to pronunciation, but also countless local phrases, idioms, and ever-evolving slang expressions.
Let’s explore the ‘Fake (Br)it Till You Make It’ campaign and the game that accompanies it.
The ‘Fake (Br)it Till You Make It’ Campaign
VisitBritain’s latest campaign, ‘Fake (Br)it Till You Make It,’ is designed to promote the U.K.’s astounding regional diversity, through which the DMO can effectively break down a single well-known destination into an array of unique areas for international visitors to explore and appreciate. The campaign is anchored by an online game that uses machine learning to test players as they attempt to reproduce some of the island nation’s regional dialects and rate their levels of success. It is a playful way to engage consumers and drive visitor bookings.
Playing the ‘Fake (Br)it Till You Make It’ Game
The ‘Fake (Br)it Till You Make It’ game is available on mobile devices and is a fun way to discover the diverse regional accents of the U.K. Players can choose from different accents, such as Scottish, Welsh, or Cockney, and then try to reproduce the accent as closely as possible. The game uses machine learning to rate players’ success and afterward shares links to area-specific information to drive visitor bookings. Players can also share their results to social media channels, inviting friends to beat their score using the hashtag #FakeBritChallenge. So why not give the game a try and see if you can master the Scottish, Welsh, or Cockney accent?
Multi-Media Marketing Strategy
The multi-media marketing campaign uses a mix of on- and offline channels to promote the campaign. This includes content across social media, influencers, custom content partners, digital display and audio advertising, driving online traffic to a landing page on VisitBritain.com with ideas and links to activities, attractions and experiences. The campaign also features branded content that showcases local phrases alongside destination images, and a series of short films that see Brits sharing a warm welcome in local accents and dialects promoting their destinations, encouraging visitors to come and explore for themselves.
Capitalizing on the US Market
The US is Britain’s largest and most valuable market, and has been one of the strongest long-haul markets to recover. Visitors from the US spent a record £4.6 billion in the UK between January-September 2022, up 40% on the same months in 2019. The ‘Fake (Br)it Till You Make It’ campaign will build on this momentum to drive further growth and visitor spend across Britain.
A Game for Promoting U.K.’s Regional Diversity
The ‘Fake (Br)it Till You Make It’ campaign and accompanying online accent game are innovative ways to engage consumers and promote the U.K.’s regional diversity. By playing the game, visitors can discover the incredible number of regional accents and dialects that exist in the U.K. and appreciate the linguistic diversity of the country. With this game, VisitBritain is offering a fun and interactive experience that helps to strengthen the brand image of the country as a culturally rich and diverse destination.
