Peaks advertising reviewed: Which brands hit the mark?

It could well be the uncertain economic conditions, or perhaps the sound marketing view that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, which governed this year’s peaks travel marketing strategies for television advertising.  

This year’s offerings resembled a sort of greatest hits album – a mixture of new material heavily supported by a remix of past hits and some favoured old classics. 

But having said that, what was refreshing to see was that in the TV ad breaks that mattered, travel and holidays dominated the content, showing that television advertising in the peaks period is still a crucial part of the marketing mix.

But who were the winners and who were the also-rans in the race to grab the TV viewer’s attention and business? Here’s my view of the candidates’ offerings.

 

What a time to be alive - Exoticca

 

One of the most difficult parts of developing an advert for television is coming up with a line that truly resonates with your target audience, one which doesn’t just grab their attention but makes them want to do something. Exoticca’s advert does just that with the line “Start planning the life you want to see flashing before your eyes”.

The blockbuster voiceover talks of Exoticca’s ‘travel crafters’ making it happen for the ad’s protagonist as dramatic Hollywood-style music continues before signing off with the fantastic slogan. This advert is truly exciting and marks a step-up in travel advertising.

 

5/5

 

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Travel that’s right up your street - Barrhead Travel

 

As part of a brand refresh, Barrhead Travel hit our TVs with an advertisement filmed in its Glasgow Silverburn store, and it is a masterclass in packing in the key points that will resonate with the target audience in just 30 seconds. Playing nicely on its strong high street presence, the advert is underpinned by the strapline “Travel that’s right up your street”.

It starts with an invitation to visit your local Barrhead store, as scenes cut rapidly from a couple seated with a Barrhead holiday expert to a series of typical holiday scenes, overlaid with phrases such as “from the high street to the high seas”, “from here to everywhere” and the agency’s strapline. In a perfect segue, it finishes with a call to action highlighting low deposits, monthly payments and holiday protection, before inviting the viewer to visit the store today. Overall, the advert does its job excellently. 

 

4/5

 

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Holiday Like Never Before - P&O Cruises 

 

P&O Cruises returned to the screens during the festive break with its familiar “Holiday like never before” advertisement. But in a nice twist that beats the habituation of simply rechurning a familiar TV advert that might just become background noise in a busy household, the key elements, such as the music bed, visual effects and footage of a ship, are interspersed with new imagery of the Mediterranean (previous efforts have focused on the Caribbean or the Norwegian fjords), capturing the magic of the region perfectly. It’s a nice touch, keeping the warm familiarity of a great advert but adding in a few new elements to freshen up the message.

 

4/5

 

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That Fred Olsen Feeling - Fred Olsen Cruise Lines

 

 

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines went some considerable way this year to challenging perceptions about the brand. In an advertisement that oozes class, we see an alchemist in his workshop working on a Fred Olsen ship in a bottle. As he switches his lamp on to look into the bottle, we are transported to the ship with happy cruisers dancing on deck in the bright sunshine of the lamp. He opens the bottle and water spills onto his work surface and produces steam that transfers us to the spa facilities of a Fred Olsen ship.

Finally, the alchemist directs a blow torch into the bottle to create spectacular green light that transports us to the northern lights as we see cruisers observing the real thing. The message is clear and the targeting is excellent. A superb effort. 

 

4/5

 

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Why cruise when you can Cunard? - Cunard

 

Cunard’s “Why cruise when you can Cunard?” advertisement aired several times during the festive break. It is a classic television advert that seems to evoke the brand in every way, from the chic sophistication of the woman experiencing the cruise line to the haunting music and evocative words. For those that love Cunard, it will reassure and remind; for those new to the brand, it may just inspire them to try it.

 

3/5

 

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Big Orange Sale - easyJet holidays

 

With its roots in the no-frills airline world, it’s hardly a surprise that easyJet holidays’ advert for this peaks season is a no-nonsense affair that does exactly what it says on the tin. And at this time of year when people are in “sales mode” looking for a bargain, easyJet holidays delivers.

 

With fast-paced music, the colour orange prominent throughout and lots of signposting around money savings on flights and package holidays – all interspersed with shots of people looking happy and a call to action to “Get out there” – it is an advert bound to appeal to its target audience: the cost-conscious travel consumer. 

 

3/5

 

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Adventure Awaits - Marella Cruises

 

The power of the music bed in a TV advert is an often-overlooked element of the presentation and yet with certain brands, Marella Cruises included, it is perhaps the key identifier – you only have to hear the distinctive energetic tune to know who is advertising.

 

Unlike certain other travel adverts with their very familiar theme tunes, Marella’s doesn’t irritate but instead adds to the fast‑paced scenes of cruise ships, destinations, happy cruisers and varied activities that make up the Marella product offering. In an environment where grabbing a viewer’s attention and getting them to connect with your brand is so difficult, Marella Cruises’ offering does the job well. 

 

3/5

 

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Say Yes to The Sale - Tui

 

Tui went with a fairly simple advert this year, with elements that seem very familiar from across the year. Its key strength is that it gets straight to the heart of the matter by promoting Tui’s biggest-ever sale, a theme which very much fits in with most consumers’ mindsets at this time of year.

 

In terms of creativity it isn’t on a par with some of its rivals, but it does have a good mixture of familiar holiday scenes, the strong music bed that we have come to associate with any Tui brand, and key messages about discounts, money off and reliability that will resonate with its target audience. Does it stand out creatively? No. Does it do what we expect of a holiday advert at the turn of the year? Absolutely yes. 

 

3/5