Going Places gets royle treatment

AIRTOURS is lavishing £3 million on Going Places’ biggest advertising campaign ever – just months before the group’s retail operation rebrands as MyTravel.

The campaign – to feature on television, radio, newspapers and billboards from Boxing Day – is part of an all-out bid by Airtours to drive customers into shops in the new year and kick-start the ailing summer 2002 booking season.

Airtours UKLG retail marketing and commercial director Tim Marsden told Travel Weekly: “Research indicates that people are willing to travel – they need a trigger to get their cheque books out.”

He denied that spending so much on a soon-to-be-defunct brand was counter-productive, but admitted it was a less-than-perfect situation.

“Going Places is still the brand people know and see, and it’ll be around for a few months yet,” he said.

“Ideally we wouldn’t do it this way but these things happen when you’re migrating from one brand to another.”

The advertising will be offer-driven, revolving around the strapline ‘Deals To Really Get You Going’, but Marsden refused to reveal “commercially sensitive” details about what kind of post-Christmas holiday discounts Going Places’ customers could expect.

“We are aiming to capture a disproportionate share of the market because the campaign will focus on all sectors,” he said. “The deals are very strong.”

Ricky Tomlinson – aka Jim Royle, the slothful, miserly character from The Royle Family – will star in the adverts.

He will be seen sitting in his habitual armchair, but by a foreign beach or a sparkling resort pool instead of in his usual spot in front of the television.

Marsden explained: “Ricky will be talking about the offers that prompted him to go on holiday, and his catch-line will be something like ‘So good, they’ve even persuaded me to go’.”

Last year, Airtours spent £2 million on a regional television campaign. But this year, Going Places is attempting to ‘own’ more than one advertising medium by bombarding consumers with deals.

Tony Harris, managing partner with advertising agency RKCR/WR, said the Going Places ads were not ideal with the MyTravel rebrand so close. “In a market so dependent on the seasons, Airtours has to advertise. It is being forced to use the Going Places brand – marketing purity would say not to do it, but that doesn’t put bums on seats.”

Meanwhile, brand expert Ian Stephens, of design consultancy Wolff Olins, questioned the wisdom of using a downmarket character given the aspirational nature of a holiday purchase.