Agencies Aces: Creative that uses Experience to Attract Travellers

Digging into the world of advertising, Kyle looks at what insights creatives are using to birth original concepts that build affinity between brands and people.

It’s that time again for us here in London: when the grey fades away and suddenly we're hit with a strange beam of light, indicating sunny season is around the corner. That means one thing: sun-cream. But it also means that it’s time to start looking at holiday locations. The thing behind our wanderlust, or the reason we bother leaving our comfy nests is a hunger for experiences. The people, the sites, the tastes, the sounds: this is what traveling is all about. So using the notion of experience, what kind of fresh insights have creatives been using to attract future would be travellers? Kyle digs into a few examples:

Georgia Tourism

Insight – Provide a surprising holiday campaign that ties into an existing audience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj3v_UPRauY

Now when us usual folk visit a foreign country, we tend to approach border control cautiously, avoiding any actions that might put us in line for that cavity search we all want to avoid. This particular fear turned out to be unnecessary for Jesper Black when he visited Georgia. Instead of being greeted by suspicious stares, he was welcomed with a bottle of wine, and that was just the start of it. Mr Black had the full red carpet rolled out for him when he arrived in Georgia, from being picked up in a black Mercedes with a police escort, to dining with the prime minister enjoying some of Georgia’s favourite cuisine: he really experienced the country’s 5-star service.

The reason for this warm welcome was due to him being the 6 millionth tourist to visit the small European nation. Well, apart from the fact that he actually wasn’t. Yes, we'll explain: the creatives behind the stunt confessed that although Jesper Black wasn’t exactly number 6 million (he was very close to it) - he was relevant because he's a fairly well-known YouTuber with a potential for a big following. The nice thing is that Mr. Black actually had no idea what was in store for him when he travelled there.

The smart angle of this campaign is that not only could it showcase Georgia in a new light, but the campaign could tag onto an existing audience, without losing authenticity (as the surprise was real). Plus, they could add further publicity to their campaign through the first-hand account of the events that unfolded with Jesper Black’s YouTube channel. Authentic surprises + existing audiences = win for Georgia.

Tourisme Québec

Insight – A holiday is about enjoying different experiences

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvpIK7dpCkQ&t=2s

Getting around on holiday can be a real mission, especially if you’re trying see an entire country. You want to be on some sort of path (whether it’s beaten or not), most likely depending on what you're trying to escape back home (Stress, bad weather, lack of nature, you're probably already filling in the rest). But do we need the fancy hotels? The room service? The personal masseuse? No - no we don’t, according to the latest campaign from Quebec's tourism board.

In their efforts to welcome more people to their lovely and rather large Canadian province, the tourism board chose a lucky couple to enjoy the diversity of the region, all from the comfort of their own room. How? The couple was sheltered by a single room, and transported to different locations around Quebec, all the way from the St. Lawrence River to the historic Château Frontenac to the Foresta Lumina. Seeing an entire country from just one basic room: the idea is simple and works in bringing the beauty of the landscape to life, because it stems from the insight of just how diverse Quebec is as a stage for a wide range of experiences. You don't need the 'extras' that sometimes try to hide the fact that the destination itself might not have too much on offer...

Swedish Tourism Association

Insight – Friendly people + historic tie-in make the experience worthwhile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtb3f_NAmK0

Sweden, a country where Vikings once reigned! And where their descendants are now reigning the world of DIY interior design. But besides that, how much do you know about Sweden (actual Swedes reading this excluded)? Well: you can always phone Sweden and just ask. No seriously. Coinciding with the 250 year celebrations of Sweden being the first country to abolish censorship, they decided the best way to promote Sweden to travellers would be by inspiring them to phone them up.

Thought up by Ingo Stockholm, a WPP agency, for the Swedish Tourist Association, people from around the world were spurred on to phone Sweden on a unique mobile number, which would connect them with a Swedish person (that had pre-registered before) to have a conversation about anything really. By using this idea as a catalyst for pride in the place you live, they were able to not only celebrate freedom of speech but increase awareness for tourists through a country’s own people. Pure genius.

Uganda Tourism

Insight – Bringing the holiday experience to your doorstep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHgimLjEZ2A

London, Big Ben, red buses, pubs, restaurants, gorillas. You don’t have to be an avid traveler to know which word is the odd one out. Uganda is a place that has become synonymous for its African beauty, and more recently, its gorilla population - thanks to a stunt in Trafalgar Square.

To drive awareness for Uganda being one of the best places to find these majestic beasts, a man mimicking a gorilla was placed in  the heart of London. Fitted with a life-like animatronic face, this experiential promotion gave Londoners and tourists a look into what it might be like to come face to face with one. By contrasting a exotic holiday experience with city life, people were able to draw comparisons, which could provide a live (and lively) experience for what may be in store for a potential next holiday destination.

Bringing an experience to life is difficult, and what these tourist boards and their agencies have done  is use reality as the trigger to illustrate how beautifully unique the various countries are. Each of these campaigns use a genuine experience to tell a story and provide an insight into what a holiday would be like if you travelled there. They all work because of the unique detail of each place that are revealed by these insights.

At Pulsar, we are dedicated to revealing the insights hiding in the very DNA of human behaviour. Get in touch with us here, and we’ll show you how you can use it to improve your campaigns.