In 2008, our firm embarked on an exciting journey when we secured the Visit Portugal account in the US. Our successful efforts in introducing the Azores as a destination to the US market caught the attention of the Portuguese National Tourist Office, led by Miguel Carvalho, who invited us to bid for their project. Little did we know that this would mark the beginning of an incredible adventure.
Beyond our collaborations with Sports Illustrated for their iconic Swimsuit Edition shoot in Portugal and assisting Anthony Bourdain in taking his No Reservations series to the Azores, we encountered a breakthrough opportunity. Meredith Vieira had become the new host of the NBC Today Show. Inspired by the program's exploration of ancestral roots, I pitched the idea of helping Meredith discover her family's heritage in the Azores. A week later, we received the call we had been waiting for: "Yes."
What followed was weeks of geological research, examining places, and delving into Meredith's family history, spanning generations, mostly on the North coast of São Miguel Island. We found that all four of Meredith's grandparents had emigrated from the Azores to the US. But, the TV star had never explored her own heritage. Set midway between the east coast of the United States and mainland Portugal, the nine Azores' islands are scattered over several hundred nautical miles of the Atlantic Ocean.
Led by Miguel, Meredith Vieira would go to the Azores and then share her family history with the national audience of millions on The Today Show. In her roots segment, Vieira was amazed by the Azores islands, for the first time since her ancestors left the region for New England a century before.
The segment was a big success, featuring stories and images of Meredith's family in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, as well as her ancestral families in the Azores. The segment introduced viewers with a captivating journey to the Azores. America's new love for Portugal was about to begin. but my favorite part was that Meredith discovered that for years she had been mispronouncing her surname. Miguel and her guides enjoyed a final café and taught to pronounce it correctly Vieira.
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