Bermuda's ad campaign, ranking it above that of other tourist destinations.

"Inviting'' is how Adweek describes the `Bermuda Shorts' advertisements gracing the pages of well-known international magazines.

In a series of critiques Mr. Larry Postaer talks of Bermuda's campaign in the magazine's June 15 issue.

"Though all I may want out of a tropical island is a stretch of beach and a friendly golf course, you have to admire Bermuda's ad campaign for resorting to neither,'' writes Mr. Postaer, the director of creative services for Rubin Postaer and Associates.

The series, presented by the Magazine Publishers of America, called on Mr.

Postaer to assess different advertisements for holiday destinations.

"...what you get from these subtly crafted ads is a wonderfully understated case for the place,'' he said. "...But what the ad does best is create an impression about a culture that exists in Bermuda, separate from the rest of the Triangle.'' Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge yesterday said the department has received several awards for the ads which are encouraging people to visit the Island.

"We have been the recipient of very good awards over the past couple of years that we are proud of,'' he said. "When you consider the massive budgets that other, larger destinations in other countries have it makes you feel proud.'' Mr. Woolridge said despite the poor economic situation in the United States, Bermuda's hotels are still enjoying active business.

"Every destination is struggling. People are making last-minute decisions because of the economic situation in the States. I think hotels are no longer able to afford the luxury of being able to say three, four months down the road what their bookings will be. Years ago people had to book in advance because there were only two traditional airlines serving Bermuda -- Eastern and American Airlines. Now, executives in the US can (choose from) 13 flights in 10 gateway cities.

"We still have an uphill battle but we're getting our fair share and doing well under the circumstances. The point is where would we be without the high visibility caused by our advertisements.'' The Bermuda Department of Tourism was selected as an international recipient of the 1992 Successful Meetings Pinnacle Award, the mark of excellence for meeting destination support organisations. The selection was made by the magazine's readers -- mainly US based corporate and association executives whose duties include meeting planning.

INVITING ADS -- The Tourism Ministry's Bermuda Shorts advertising campaign has received praise from critics. Above is the latest magazine advertisement by agency DDB-Needham.