Vilnius to mark birthday with comical 90s-style campaign

Dubbed the "Belated Birthday Greetings", the campaign will feature an early 90s-style video showing Vilnius creating a series of birthday cards, Go Vilnius said on Thursday.

The postcards are meant for those who "forget to congratulate the city on its birthday" because they still don't know enough about Vilnius, the agency said.

Foreigners will also be directed to the campaign's website 700birthdaycards.lt.

The digital advertising campaign will target Vilnius' key tourism markets, including the UK, Germany, Poland and Latvia.

The promotional video was shot by director Ricardas Matacius who used a period camera and authentic period details. The clip also features foreigners from Italy, Kenya, Mongolia and Kazakhstan living in Vilnius.

Inga Romanovskiene, director of Go Vilnius, says one of the most effective ways to attract the attention of foreigners to Vilnius is not to be afraid to make bold decisions and sometimes to laugh at yourself.

"Self-irony and a rational look at the situation on the global tourism map have already become a kind of calling card of our city. That's why, with this new campaign, we once again want to draw attention to Vilnius as it will soon celebrate its 700th anniversary, but it is always be young at heart," Romanovskiene said.