The big operators’ much-hyped turn-of-year campaigns were broadcast for the first time over the festive period.
Brighter Group executive chairman Steve Dunne assesses four of the campaigns, marking them for innovation and strength of message
Thomson – A film about a smile
Thomson has been setting the benchmark for how the industry advertises on TV for some years – as it should, as market leader.
The company’s current campaign, ‘Discover your Smile’, firmly plants a flag in the sand for powerful brand building and thought-evoking holiday advertising, particularly with its strong production values.
From the outset, the ad strikes a chord with the audience in using the lyrics – distinctively conveyed in the rich voice of the narrator – of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, while showing Miles the Bear being plucked out of everyday life and transformed, through a holiday, into enjoying new experiences and even a romance with a toy unicorn.
The Thomson Dreamliner and Sensatori properties are cleverly weaved into the storyline, while the Thomson logo, resembling a smile, of course, features heavily on the bear’s face. This sets the bar high.
P&O Cruises – This is the life
P&O’s turn-of-year campaign is another example of the industry’s successful pursuit of high production values in television advertisements.
With a subtle music bed of the Morecambe & Wise signature tune, Bring Me Sunshine, and featuring Welsh comedian Rob Brydon doing a daily diary of his experiences in a whimsical way, it’s a very good TV ad. Its ‘This is the Life’ strapline is certainly a strong call to action.
The ad’s stated purpose is to reposition the P&O brand, as well as to appeal to an audience new to cruising. It will definitely appeal to existing cruisers, so recruiting from other brands is a strong possibility.
In my view, however, there was not anything specific that would necessarily appeal to the new-to-cruise market. But time will tell. Still, P&O’s third successive turn-of-year campaign is a great effort.
Thomas Cook – Real Good Times
It is one of those unfortunate quirks of fate that in its ‘Real Good Times’ advertisement, Thomas Cook, in the same way as its rival Thomson, uses a classic Queen song as the music bed.
One can only imagine the confusion of a customer booking a holiday from “the company using that Queen song”. So a strong call to action for the brand is vital.
The ad is full of energy and that feelgood factor of holidays, as Don’t Stop Me Now blasts out, accompanied by images of holidaymakers and selfies. The year 2014 has been christened ‘the year of the selfie’, and incorporating the trend into the ad gives it a contemporary feel.
However, I am not convinced that the ad does enough to distinguish Thomas Cook from other holiday brands, particularly Thomson. So while it evokes the idea of a holiday, it might not be strong enough to ensure that it is a Cook holiday that is booked.
Kuoni – Find your Amazing
I imagine that Kuoni’s ‘Find your Amazing’ advert would look simply stunning on the big screen of a cinema or on the large flatscreen TVs that feature in so many homes these days.
The scenes of a swimmer walking on water and moving gracefully under the surface against a haunting music bed present a powerful image. In terms of its creativity, the advertisement is vastly different from any of the other campaigns out at the moment, which is always an advantage.
Does it evoke a call to action and position the brand strongly? For its target market, it is no doubt powerful and right on the button.
The hashtag #runonwater and Kuoni’s YouTube video, where the star of the advertisement, synchronised swimmer Lenka Tanner, teaches viewers to run upside down underwater, is an interesting touch.