Visual rhetoric and ethics in marketing of destinations

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss the visual rhetoric of advertising in the marketing of destinations and place branding. In particular, it considers the ways in which advertisements create and reinforce meanings. Attention is also given to the ethics of representing people and places. The article provides an interdisciplinary conceptual review and uses a mixed methods approach to analyze the 100% Pure New Zealand advertising campaign. The contribution of this article is to enhance the discussion about ethics in representing places, communities, people, and their culture in destination marketing and in place brand communications. © 2011 SAGE Publications.