TheMarketingblog

Three memorable holiday ads

Most of us don’t need much convincing to spend some downtime in an exciting location away from school, university or work.

 So in theory, holidays should sell themselves.

But with so many new destinations opening up annually and different segments of the public developing niche preferences, marketers and tourist boards must think outside the box to beat the competition.

Whether they focus on discovering the best things to do in Barcelona at night or the thrills of a family holiday at Disneyland, the most effective campaigns usually distil an evocative holiday ambience rather than focusing on fine details.

So if you like sun, sea and surprises, here are three memorable holiday ad campaigns.

Come and Say G’day

Tourism Australia’s 1984 ‘Come and Say G’day’ campaign featuring Paul Hogan successfully promoted the nation’s delights to a US audience between 1984 and 1990.

Its flagship TV advert featured a tanned and relaxed Hogan playing host against the iconic backdrop of Sydney Opera House — while promising viewers he’d happily ‘slip an extra shrimp on the barbie’ for them should they visit.

Americans were already aware of Australia’s natural attractions like the outback and Great Barrier Reef, but this ad introduced them to the laid-back Aussie lifestyle — and proved so popular that US arrivals doubled over the campaign’s first three years.

Australia remains a popular destination for global tourists, but more than thirty years later, this is still their most effective holiday marketing campaign ever.

Pool kid

If you need reminding how important it is to let your holiday hair down, look no further than Thomas Cook’s charming 2015 ‘Pool Kid’ advert.

It stars a boy wearing a shark-fin swimming float busting moves around a quiet early morning poolside — before noticing that he’s attracted a female lifeguard’s attention, continuing to style it out, then plunging into the water.

In just under a minute, the ad encapsulates the child-like excitement and freedom we feel on the first day of a holiday, when days of blissful sun-kissed adventures stretch out before us and we cast away stuffy workaday conventions.

Delta’s meme safety ad

Aircraft safety instructions are incredibly important — but usually make mundane subject material for holiday adverts.

However, Delta Airlines blew away these preconceptions with their ‘meme-tastic’ 2015 ad which featured a steward running through pre-flight safety instructions punctuated by viral internet memes like the Annoying Orange and the Ice Bucket Challenge.

The ad piggybacks on the popularity of videos familiar to a mass global audience while getting a serious message across in a funny and memorable manner.

And it also proves that the most unlikely elements of the holiday experience can be refreshed and repurposed — from searching for convenient airport parking in Luton to confirming the purpose of your trip to immigration officials in Las Vegas.

The sun, sea and surprises in these three memorable holiday ad campaigns blend together persuasively to make us click that mouse and commit to next year’s summer break.

What’s your favourite holiday advert? Share your thoughts by email will@themarketingblog.co.uk

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