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Jamaican music icon Jimmy Cliff and star of Volkswagen’s “C’Mon Get Happy” Super Bowl advertisement Erik Nicolaisen were honored at a cocktail reception at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

Hosted by the Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Dr. Wykeham McNeill and Jamaica’s Director of Tourism John Lynch, the special guests included members of the tourism industry, business community and media.

Jimmy Cliff was praised for his stellar career, including last month’s Grammy Award win for “Best Reggae Album ‘Rebirth’”. Nicolaisen, who shot to prominence following his appearance in the recent VW Super Bowl commercial, was recognized for his role in providing significant positive exposure to the destination.

“The Jamaica Tourist Board felt it fitting to acknowledge both Jimmy Cliff and Erik Nicolaisen for their roles in bringing awareness to Jamaica,” said John Lynch, Director of Tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board. “Cliff has been a valuable representative for the island for many years, and Nicolaisen has provided tremendous exposure through his character in the commercial.”

Jimmy Cliff’s song “C’Mon…Get Happy” from his award-winning album ‘Rebirth’ was featured in the VW commercial in which Erik Nicolaisen appeared as Dave, a Midwestern office worker with a Jamaican accent.

Nicolaisen, along with his Jamaican brother-in-law Robert Murphy, were in Jamaica as guests of the Board to experience the destination first hand. While on island Nicolaisen visited a number of iconic locations, including Mystic Mountain and Dunn’s River Falls, with Jamaica Tours providing ground transportation. He also experienced some of the island’s diverse accommodations such as Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, Spanish Court in Kingston and the Ritz- Carlton Rose Hall in Montego Bay.