There’s a scene in a recently released movie about a group of older Britons going for a holiday in India in which a frazzled guest, exasperated with the terrible quality of the hotel, points to the brochure and demands: “I want to stay in this hotel.”That scene shows the dangers of over-promising and under-delivering in advertising. It’s an object lesson for all advertising and brand development, and one which holds particular relevance in tourism.To be sure, consumers of advertising have become very sophisticated. They know that a particular brand of after shave won’t get them the girl. But advertising does set a scene and a mood, and as noted in a recent letter to the Editor, the advertiser’s target customers should be able to see themselves in the ad.Bermuda’s advertising efforts in the past have not always accomplished that. But the new brand and advertising unveiled last week by the Ministry of Tourism is a step in the right direction.It offers a sense of Bermuda as a fun place where you can go to relax and unwind. It’s directed at a younger market, which is critical, and the use of Bermudian models gives a sense that the people of Bermuda are diverse, energetic and having fun. Certainly Bermuda’s target customers will feel like they belong in Bermuda.Having said that, the campaign does not have a “wow” factor in the sense that it doesn’t knock you off your feet. But that’s not necessarily a fair criticism; we are all so familiar with Bermuda that it would take a lot to surprise us. The real question is what likely Bermuda visitors, and especially those from the US East Coast, will think of it.Having some — any presence in the market is vital. This campaign is really being aimed at the 2013 visitor because the most important part of the 2012 season is almost over. Bermuda has been virtually absent from the tourism market since about 2009 due to, first, having a reduced budget, and secondly, having no agency. That has now been remedied, and it is to be hoped that the next Budget will have meaningful money in it for marketing and advertising. Tourism is one area where you can’t afford not to be seen.And for “Bermuda … so much more”, compared to “Feel the Love”, it’s less hackneyed and gets across the sense that’s there more to Bermuda than people think and that it offers more than other destinations.Still, it is important that Bermuda actually fulfills the promise. If people end up feeling that there is “so much less” than they thought, or as one commenter on www.royalgazette.com noted, Bermuda is “so much more expensive”, then the branding will have been counterproductive.And this is perhaps the most important point, and why so the Indian movie scene is so important. The advertising campaign and branding is just the start (or, in many ways, the final piece in the puzzle). If Bermuda does not offer superior service, more value for money, a high standard of amenities, safety and friendliness, then it does not matter how good the advertising is it won’t work.So Bermuda has to continue to work on getting more affordable airlift, improving the existing hotels’ service and plant, getting local transport right, and above all making our visitors feel genuinely welcome in everything they do. Then Bermuda will be able to deliver on its promise.