Thomas Cook has brought out a TV advertising campaign designed to appeal to the millennial generation of holidaymakers.
The advertisement – which features the operator’s newest hotel brand Cook’s Club – will run for the first time on TV tonight, during the break of Spencer, Vogue & Baby Too on E4 at 9pm. It went live on YouTube this morning.
It comes later than traditional travel turn-of-year advertising campaigns which run at the end of December or beginning of January.
Directed by Ben Wheatley, who also directed the forthcoming remake of Rebecca starring Lily James and previously the 2016 hit High-Rise featuring Tom Hiddleson and Sienna Miller, the advert plays on the feeling you get when you wake up on the first morning of a holiday.
The campaign runs for four weeks across digital, video, TV and social channels which have an audience of mainly 16 to 30 year olds.
It aims to tap into a market of holidaymakers looking for properties offering contemporary design, good food and drink and the security of booking with a tour operator. Around 25% of Cook’s UK customer base are aged 18 to 35.
Cook plans to open six new Cook’s Clubs this summer in destinations including Majorca, Turkey and Sardinia, following a successful first season of Cook’s Club Crete.
Jamie Queen, group marketing director, said: “This year’s campaign taps into the changing needs of younger holidaymakers – who have said goodbye to booze cruises and foam parties and hello to contemporary hotels and cultural experiences. We know that this age group is increasingly considering package holidays and not only did we want to showcase our newest hotel brand, Cook’s Club, to this audience but also have some fun with the feelings you get when you wake up in a Thomas Cook own-brand hotel.”
More: Special Report: Turn-of-year TV ad campaigns
Travel Weekly Podcast: Turn-of-year campaigns review