The clip features prominent influencer and socialite Brigitte Susanne Hunt as a Tallinn singleton heading for a brief festive break in the town of Võru, little realizing that she might be about to meet the man of her dreams...

Titled "Jõulud Lõuna-Eestis: Väikesed linnad, suured armastuslood" ("Christmas in South Estonia: Little towns, big love stories") the video was funded by the South Estonia tourism cluster, and had been viewed over 57,000 times at the time of writing, three days after upload to YouTube.

South Estonia tourism cluster communication lead Liis Hainla, who co-authored the script and original concept, told ERR the vid clip's aim is simple — to invite people to spend their Christmas break in South Estonia.

The ad is filmed in a "Hallmark style," emotional and romantic stories, often set at Christmastime, which have a happy ending. Such fare can often be seen on the U.S. cable television network the Hallmark Channel, a subsidiary of the Hallmark Christmas cards firm.

"The theme of Hallmark Christmas films gave us an opportunity to present South Estonia's small towns through humor and warm-hearted satire. We're delighted that this ad has received so much positive attention," Hainla went on.

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Hunt was chosen as the female lead as the concept suited her "single beauty" persona, a similarly U.S.-style romantic theme, as well as the fact she is a well-known public figure.

Actor and model Erik Vent plays the handsome local lad who steals her heart.

The chance encounter starts off at the bus station when Hunt drops her scarf, followed by the pair bumping into each other several more times.

Vent's character is also the receptionist at a local hotel and even its masseuse. Things culminate at a fireworks display in the town center, with Hunt saying she has to head back to Tallinn for work, but leaving it open whether she actually does do that.

"With her self-confidence and good sense of humor, she carried the role very well," Hainla said of Hunt. "She was also paired perfectly with Erik Vent, who portrays a down-to-earth, lovable flannel-shirt-wearing 'Võru boy'."

Of the serious point behind the clip, Hainla said it is "meant to attract visitors to our campaign page (link in Estonian), where each town lists exciting hotels, restaurants and regional activities that will hopefully inspire people to come visit us."

The South Estonia cluster's long-term goal remains visitor growth, while accommodation statistics are being actively tracked.

"We know there's still a long, chaotic customer journey between watching the video and actually traveling to South Estonia. So we can only hope that when someone starts planning a trip, we'll be the first destination they remember thanks to the campaign – that South Estonia is tied to winter charm and holiday joy," Hainla added.

Along with municipalities and cluster members, the initiatives are backed by the Enterprise and Innovation Foundation (EIS), whose funding for the cluster totals €1.9 million a year.

Producing the video itself came in under €10,000, including actor fees, mainly because no creative agency was involved, Hainla said. The shoot was filmed in one day.

"I should also note that the ad was funded solely from membership fees paid by companies within our cluster," Hainla said.

The South Estonia tourism cluster (Lõuna-Eesti turismiklaster) has been active since 2021, launched in cooperation between tourism businesses, local government and regional networks. Two years later, tourism staff at the county development centers were merged under one leadership structure, covering the entire South Estonia region.

EIS spokesperson Piret Malv said the foundation's aim is also to help regional businesses bring more attractive tourism services to foreign markets.

All EIS support programs ultimately aim to boost tourism export revenue by growing visits from international tourists. Domestic travelers are directed to the national tourism portal, which is also available in English.

The Christmas clip was made in the Estonian language.

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