Thomas Cook unveils new advert
The advert for Thomas Cook’s peak booking campaign has been aired for the first time, during Star Wars screenings across the UK.
The ad, which you can view by clicking here, debuted in cinemas across the UK just after midnight before the first showings of much anticipated film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The first TV ads will premier on Friday during ITV’s charity fundraising show Text Santa. Last year, TV ads didn’t launch until Boxing Day.
This year’s multi-million pound campaign was based on research which found customers see little difference between holiday companies.
It also found that generic holiday imagery used in advertising makes them even less sure of which company to book with.
The humorous adverts, with taglines, such as ‘be a big kid’, ‘fool around’, ‘be bold’ ‘be greedy’ and ‘do nothing’ are designed to show how ‘a Thomas Cook holiday allows customers to be all the things they want to be while on holiday’.
The main slogan of the campaign is ‘Leave it to Us. You’re on Holiday’.
"Holidays are about letting go, about being the person you want to be while away and treating yourself," explains Jamie Queen, marketing and e-commerce director Thomas Cook UK and Ireland.
"Holiday companies haven’t traditionally celebrated this truth in their advertising. Leave it to us. You’re on holiday looks to redress that balance."
"I’m sure we’ve all been at an all-inclusive buffet and experienced putting starter, main and dessert on one plate because after all, you’re on holiday and if you can’t do it then when can you? That’s the spirit of the campaign; reminding people that as we will be looking after transfers, flights, hotel bookings, kids clubs, activities, etc, they can simply be themselves, be carefree and indulge."
The campaign marks the start of the peak booking season for summer 2016, and will run across TV, cinema and radio advertising, direct marketing, online marketing and social media.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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