Nanaimo is anything but normal, claims quirky new tourism campaign

Eccentric, unconventional, off-centre, far-out, idiosyncratic, weird, offbeat, wacky and zany.

Tourism Nanaimo is tapping into the city's uniqueness and diversity for a 'Nanaimo Normal' rebrand that claims to be anything but normal.

"The main selling point for many BC cities is often the beautiful nature that surrounds them. With mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, Nanaimo's no different," said Carly Pereboom, executive director of Tourism Nanaimo.

"But, there's quite a bit that sets us apart. Things that might raise an eyebrow elsewhere -- like racing motorized bathtubs in the harbour and outlandish street names like Twiggly Wiggly Road -- are simply the norm in Nanaimo. Try to label this city or put it in a box, and we'll climb right out."

In fact, the 'Nanaimo Normal' campaign features some 'Put me in a box, and I will climb back out' imagery.

Nanaimo, population: 115,000, is located a quarter of the way up Vancouver Island's east coast.

It has a spectacular harbour, mountain, forest, and urban setting.

Yet, it's also home to one-of-a-kind people and experiences.

For example, the aforementioned bathtub races, Dinghy Dock (the only floating pub in Canada), quirky shop owners, diverse visitors and craft eats and drinks -- including the famous custard-and-chocolate Nanaimo bar.

In fact, rather than focus on the nature beauty shots often seen in tourist destination campaigns, 'Nanaimo Normal' focuses on people in a unperfect and non-curated way seldom seen in advertising and social media feeds.

The campaign was launched this week locally, provincially and nationally to attract travellers wanting something different to Nanaimo.

"It's an exciting time to be promoting Nanaimo," said Pereboom.

"We're seeing more and more young entrepreneurs and creators choosing to make Nanaimo their home, and contributing to a colourful and thriving culture. There's been a steady reinvestment over the last two years in Nanaimo from restaurants, breweries and some really beautiful boutique stores. There's a community built on character and being yourself attitude and that's what this campaign is all about."

Pacific Coastal Airlines flies between Kelowna and Nanaimo daily and Nanaimo has two ferry terminals with car and passenger routes to Horseshoe Bay in North Vancouver and Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver, and the Hullo passenger-only ferry that goes from downtown Nanaimo to downtown Vancouver.

The campaign also wants you to check out https://tourismnanaimo.com/nanaimonormal/ and use #NanaimoNormal when you post to social media.