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Travel Marketing Campaigns: The 7 Best of All Time

The fallout from the COVID pandemic led to an understanding that travel marketing was going to have to work harder and smarter than it ever has before.

The industry had been ravaged by the pandemic. Restrictions prevented travel, holidaymakers were confined to their homes and, even as society began to unlock, consumers were wary of returning to post-pandemic travel behaviour.

That’s why it’s time for travel marketing and travel advertising to level up.

The best travel marketing campaigns and travel ads delight, entertain and entice consumers to step out the door and have an experience like no other. Now these campaigns are going to have to do all this and more.

But what makes a great travel marketing campaign? What are the best examples out there? And what can we learn from them?

In this article, we’ll look at the best travel marketing campaigns of all time, including:

• Inspired by Iceland – The Iceland Academy
• Doors of Thrones
• Fill Your Heart With Ireland
• The Oregon Tourism Commission
• Yodel Ay Hee Hoo
• Meliá Hotels International
• The worst travel marketing campaigns
• Essential strategies

The current state of travel marketing campaigns

The stats paint a bleak picture for the travel and tourism industry. Airlines alone lost in excess of $250 billion in 2020 , and experts predict it could take years for hotels to return to pre-COVID levels of business. While tourism spending is also set to take until this year to recover.

The good news is the green shoots of recovery are already appearing. After spending the best part of a year stuck in their homes, people want to travel again, even if it’s only domestically, to begin with.

There’s no escaping the fact that travel in a post-pandemic world is now a harder sell. It’s why the need for travel marketing campaigns with powerful, emotive storytelling that tugs on the heartstrings, captures a sense of adventure and creates a compelling experience has never been greater.

Right now, travel marketing campaigns and ads need to go further than they have previously. Marketers need to get even more savvy in terms of delivering the right message to the right people at the right time – and they need to do it at speed and scale.

Let’s take a look at what we think are some of the best travel marketing campaigns of all time and see what we can learn from them:

1. Inspired by Iceland

This won’t be the first time the travel industry has had to bounce back from a disaster. In 2010, the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökul closed the skies across Europe and led to many misconceptions about travel to the awe-inspiring country.

In response, the Icelandic government joined forces with the City of Reykjavík, airlines Icelandair and Iceland Express, Promote Iceland and about 80 other tourism-related companies to create the campaign Inspired by Iceland.

The campaign, which is still running, takes on different themes each year and has won numerous awards such as the Cannes Lion and ICCA.

The campaign blends humour (see the series of Iceland Academy videos and The Hardest Karaoke Song In The World – which has been viewed nearly 14 million times on YouTube) with the best of what Iceland has to offer. It strikes a tone that’s warm, engaging and often hilarious. It makes people smile and makes visiting Iceland seem like something everyone should do at least once in their life.

2. Doors of Thrones

Despite its stunning natural beauty and world-famous landmarks like the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland has never been the easiest destination to sell. Due to Northern Ireland’s turbulent past, its travel marketing has had to work harder than most.

Thankfully, the result is some spectacular campaigns. None more so than the stunning Doors of Thrones.

In 2016, Storm Gertrude destroyed some of the trees that make up the iconic Dark Hedges, where the scenes on the Kingsroad were filmed for HBO’s smash hit, Game of Thrones.

Quick to find hope in the midst of a disaster, the fallen trees were carved into ten doors, each one to represent an episode from Season 6 of the show. These doors were then shipped across the country to different locations. They now make up a new experience called The Journey of the Doors.

It’s another example of turning a negative into a positive alongside combining real experiences with marketing mastery.

3. Fill Your Heart With Ireland

Sticking with the Emerald Isle, 2018 saw Tourism Ireland unveil an industry-first campaign. If great marketing and advertising centres around talking the hearts of the audience, then it doesn’t come more literal than the Fill Your Heart With Ireland campaign.

A married couple from Sweden, who had never visited Ireland before, wore custom-made tech to track their physiological responses on their trip around the country. Heart monitors were linked to head cams and the data from the heart rate monitors was used to determine what footage would feature in the advertising.

Here’s the result:

4. Travel Oregon

Travel Oregon has gained a reputation for creating some of the best campaigns going. From a tour guide in the shape of a robot fish through to satirical articles , Travel Oregon frequently combines print, sponsored post, social media, banner ads and video to profound effect.

Perhaps the icing on their incredibly impressive marketing cake is the Studio Ghibli-like video that re-imagines the US State as an ‘adventure dreamland.’

Their marketing consistently pushes boundaries, is fun and performs to perfection.

5. Yodel Ay Hee Hoo

From #Lookup the billboard campaign from British Airways to wonderful Europe, It’s Just Next Door campaign from SNCF , interactivity is playing an increasingly important role in travel marketing.

Pick of the bunch, however, is the Yodel Ay Hee Hoo gem from Graubünden Tourism in Switzerland. The highlight of the campaign was a live video stream from a mountain village into a train station which encouraged passers-by to engage in conversation with a man from the village.

It’s fun, quirky, and uses the best of modern technology to engage and surprise audiences.

6. Meliá Hotels International

Meliá Hotels International have pioneered the approach to digital display advertising , combining technical excellence with powerful messaging. Designed using Bannerflow Creative Studio , the Meliá Hotels International display ad features a range of unique interactive elements. What’s more each design element works together perfectly to drive the viewer to engage and drive a click to a specific landing page.

Asking audiences the question ‘Where do you want to go?’. The call to action button turns into a dropdown list when the user interacts with it – ensuring maximum engagement, and adding a personalised touch.

7. #LifeInHel

Yet another multi-award-winner, this integrated social and digital campaign was billed as the ‘world’s longest layover.’ The campaign, by Finnish airport operator Finavia, sought to demonstrate the best of Helsinki Airport – boosting its profile among travellers journeying between Europe and Asia.

Chinese influencer Ryan Zhu lived at Helsinki Airport for 30 days, uploading content to multiple channels on a daily basis. The total media coverage exceeded 2.2 billion in 2017 , the year the campaign was run.

The worst travel marketing campaigns of all time

For every travel marketing ‘win’ there’s been some spectacular losses too. Take a bow the tourism boards of Lithuania and Girona , both of whom fell foul of eagle eyed viewers when they used pictures from other places to promote their destination.

The Real is Beautiful campaign saw the country’s tourism chief resign. Why you ask? Images from Slovakia and Finland were used to promote Lithuania across social channels.  While, the Girona Tourism Board found themselves in hot water too. Get ready…for using a picture of a beach in the Bahamas to promote the Costa Brava. And their excuse?! They didn’t have photos of sufficient quality for the local area! Seriously, it’s lovely.

Top of the list of worst travel marketing campaigns of all time is the ill-fated collaboration between Hoover and JSI Travel in the early ‘90s. They ran a promotion where, if you bought a vacuum cleaner or washing machine worth at least £100, you’d get two free plane tickets to Europe or America (yes, you read that right).

Unsurprisingly, the campaign backfired spectacularly and nearly sent Hoover out of business. The campaign generated £30 million in additional sales but cost Hoover £50 million in flights.

Essential strategies: production automation and campaign management for travel marketing campaigns

When looking at the best travel marketing campaigns, there was one common factor that tied all of them together; storytelling . The best campaigns have a strong story and powerful narrative.

In today’s world, that story needs to be everywhere, all the time. This means control and consistency across all channels. Furthermore, display campaigns often need to change on-on-fly to remain customer-centric. And travel businesses face the added challenge of reducing costs, using data effectively, and being agile in changing legislation.

Production automation and campaign management are critical products to achieving this. Thanks to the technology behind industry-leading Creative Management Platform platforms (CMPs) , creative production can now easily be automated and scaled. It’s now possible to go from a single creative to an entire campaign spanning all formats and channels in minutes.

How, you ask? A CMP enables you to optimise, test and tailor ads at high speed – without the need for coding. This gives you the power and control to replace generic ads with many more personalised variations. Or you can use the time to experiment more!

This is global advertising with a personal touch. Giving your brand power to always keep messaging relevant to your target audiences and thus boost both click-through rates and ROI.

These stand-out campaigns combine technical excellence and execution with creativity and outside-the-box thinking. They put stories, emotion and connection first. They speak to the heart and engage the mind.

A Creative Management Platform like Bannerflow can help you do all of this at scale and at speed. With it, you’ll be able to consistently create campaigns that wow your audience and get the wanderlust flowing.

If you want to learn more about how Bannerflow can help power your digital advertising, get in touch for a demo and let us open the door to a new world of possibilities.

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The 3 Factors That Will Increase Your Ranking on Tripadvisor

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6 ideas for travel and tourism advertising campaigns (with examples)

Want to create eye-catching travel ads like Expedia, Southwest Airlines, and KAYAK?

As travel starts to pick up again, it’s time to get serious about your advertising. Tour operators can hugely benefit from paid ads — but with so many forms of advertising available across different platforms, you may be wondering where to start.

In this post, we’re sharing actionable strategies to build better ad campaigns that appeal to your target audience, plus top-level examples from the brands who do it best.

Top factors to consider for travel advertising campaigns

Want to see more positive results from ads? Keep these strategies in mind when crafting your future marketing campaigns .

1. Define your target customer

Do you know who your customers are? Before you begin crafting an ad campaign, you need to know more about your guests.

Building a buyer persona is a strategic way for tour businesses to get to know their customers. A buyer persona is a visual representation of your ideal customer: Dig into their demographics, study their behaviors on your website, and send surveys to your email list to find out more.

The takeaway? You’ll find a much higher ROI with ad campaigns that specifically appeal to your target audience.

2. Understand the travel customer journey

It’s difficult to sell a tour to someone who hasn’t decided on a destination yet. Ideally, you want to show your ads to people when they’re most likely to book.

Understanding the travel customer journey can help you pinpoint when that is. Google defines the travel search process in four stages:

• Dreaming: Guests are looking for destination inspiration.
• Planning: Guests are researching potential travel dates, hotels, and activities.
• Booking: Guests are booking flights, hotels, etc.
• Experiencing: Guests have arrived and are searching for activities and attractions to experience.

Tour operators are likely to see more conversions in the “booking” and “experiencing” stages. For example, if you’re investing in Google Ads, it’s better to target narrow search terms like “best hiking tours in Colorado,” which is what someone in the booking or experiencing stage would search for.

People in the dreaming stage, on the other hand, would likely be searching overly broad terms like “best summer destinations.”

3. Choose the right platform

There are several different platforms to launch your advertising campaigns, and choosing the right one matters. Where is your audience most likely to see your ad? Where are they already hanging out?

Here are five popular travel advertising outlets:

• Google Ads: Show up at the top of Google search results for relevant keywords.
• Social media ads: Target specific demographics on Facebook and Instagram.
• Yelp ads: Appear to people searching for similar experiences on Yelp.
• Tripadvisor ads: Target people planning a trip to your destination.
• Email marketing: Offer discounts to your email list, one of the more cost-effective ways to advertise.

4. Pay attention to seasonality

Timing is one of the most important factors in travel advertising. Keep seasonality in mind when crafting your campaigns, and remember to edit previously launched campaigns as needed.

A skiing ad won’t make sense at the beginning of summer, so make sure to pause seasonally irrelevant campaigns.

5. Stay true to your brand

Your ad campaigns should reflect your brand identity. People who click on your advertisements are expecting to find the same tone of voice, visuals, and customer experience on your website.

6. Use geographic targeting 

Rather than making your ad visible everywhere on the planet, you can target specific locations your guests are likely to be in. For example, you can target other tourism websites in your state to lure in tourists who are already visiting.

By narrowing down your ad’s geographic reach, you can maximize your budget and focus on the areas that’ll bring you the most return.

7. Promote your sales and special offers

What better way to entice someone to click on your ad than to present them with an unbeatable offer? Advertisements are an effective way to promote your sales, especially seasonal offers. You can send out an ad offering a great discount during the low season to help replenish your bookings, for example.

Pro Tip: One of the simplest ways to do this is by creating coupon codes. Here is how easy it is to create a new coupon code in Xola.

8. Leverage user-generated content 

Sometimes you can generate an ad campaign with user-generated content alone. It’s another cost-effective way to bring more eyes to your tour company.

You can start by encouraging guests to use your brand’s hashtags, share their photos with their own followers, or even submit photos on your website. Apps, like Fotaflo , which integrates natively with Xola, make the process of curating UGC photos and videos easier. Tour operators can also offer incentives for anyone who posts on social media about your tours, such as hosting a giveaway for everyone who uses a hashtag related to your brand.

Tour operator Intrepid Travel asks guests to share their experiences on Instagram with the hashtag #BeIntrepid , for example, which has garnered over 50,000 posts.

Guests typically love seeing their content reposted on other accounts. Still, make sure to always credit the original owner. To avoid serious copyright issues, many brands ask followers to agree to a disclaimer about how and where the images will be used before re-posting them.

Reviews can also be considered user-generated content — but tour operators need to be very careful when it comes to encouraging guests to leave positive reviews. Tripadvisor prohibits brands from offering incentives in exchange for testimonials “because they can hinder the validity and accuracy of reviews.”

9. Use images and videos

Images and videos are the most powerful form of advertising in the travel industry. High-quality images of your destination and scenes from your tours can entice hundreds of clicks. An expertly crafted video can drive even more engagement.

Instagram and Facebook are great places to start experimenting with image and video ads; see a couple of great examples below.

6 examples of great travel advertising examples 

Ready to see these strategies in action? Here are six travel brands that have nailed their travel marketing — including examples of general ad campaigns, paid search ads, and social media ads.

Expedia’s campaign: “It matters who you travel with.” 

This Expedia campaign wants travelers to feel confident booking with the platform in a post-pandemic travel world. The tagline “It matters who you travel with” frames the company as a trusted travel partner rather than just a booking platform.

The company created a playful and very relatable video of a solo traveler who runs into several hiccups on her trip. That is until actress Rashida Jones steps in, embodying Expedia, and makes the trip more memorable.

The company chose a video to expertly convey its marketing message to travelers: Expedia promises a seamless trip and memorable experiences you can’t find on your own.

Southwest’s Transfarency campaign

Southwest Air Lines’ new campaign targets the controversial topic of ticket prices. The company has always billed itself as a transparent brand that cares about employees and customers alike. The new campaign called Trans fare ncy , a play on the words transparency and airfare, builds on that reputation.

The campaign promises customers no unexpected bag fees, change fees, or hidden fees. It’s a great advertisement because it fits perfectly within Southwest’s brand identity, and the airline delivers on the promise.

TourRadar’s travel and destination Facebook ads

Vienna-based TourRadar launched a Facebook campaign to increase bookings from people who had visited its website. The company used visually stunning travel ads to promote relevant tours to people who had browsed the same tours online.

The company also promoted relevant destination offers and tours to people who hadn’t visited their website yet but had shown interest in the destination. The campaign focused on the company’s core markets, including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.

It was a success: TourRadar doubled its conversion rate over a year.

KAYAK’s video ads on Instagram

KAYAK ran video ads on Instagram to bring more people to its website, including one that shows how simple it is to filter flights by airline, price, number of stops, and destination.  

The company played around with ad placement in both Stories and the News Feed, and each ad had a “book now” or “learn more” call-to-action button that linked back to the KAYAK website.

The ads were shown to a lookalike audience based on the travel search engine’s existing audience, which increased the likelihood of clicks. As a result, KAYAK saw a 5x increase in incremental sales conversions.

Airbnb Experiences search ad

Airbnb is targeting people who search for outdoor activities in Colorado to promote its local-led tours. In this example specifically, Airbnb’s paid search ad for a hiking tour shows up under the search for “best hiking in Colorado.”

The title “Hiking in the Rockies – Year Round” quickly answers the questions of “where” and “when,” two details that directly impact the customer’s trip. The wording of the title narrows down the search for the searcher. The description focuses on Airbnb’s unique offerings — “hosted by expert locals,” “experiences vetted for quality,” and “small group sizes — further enticing readers to click.

It’s a great example of Airbnb using a feature other than its main accommodation services to bring people into its website.

Viator’s Brooklyn food tours search ad

Here’s another effective Google Ad example. Viator is promoting its food and wine tours in Brooklyn under the search term “Brooklyn food tours.” 

Unlike the other search ads that pop up, Viator specifically mentions the keywords that the customer will be skimming the page for and includes another enticing offer.

Viator includes “Book & Save Money” in its title, directly appealing to money-conscious travelers visiting a destination known for being very expensive. Therefore, this ad specifically speaks to budget or mid-range travelers who appreciate a good deal.

As you can tell from these examples, an effective ad campaign is crafted around your ideal audience. Top travel companies like Viator and Southwest use words, images, and videos to appeal to their target customers, and your campaigns should follow suit.

Now it’s time to implement these strategies into your own campaigns. Then sit back, relax, and watch those bookings soar.

Writer Carla Vianna

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Top 10 Travel Marketing Campaigns & Innovations

Traveling is more than just a leisure activity; it's a massive global industry that contributes over $9 trillion to the world's economy. The competition among travel companies, airlines, and destinations is fierce, and standing out in the crowded market requires innovation and creativity. In this landscape, marketing campaigns have become vital tools for capturing attention and driving consumer behavior. From social media strategies to television commercials, successful campaigns have not only influenced travel decisions but also shaped travel trends and culture.

According to a recent study by the World Travel & Tourism Council, the right marketing campaign can increase destination visits by up to 20%. This has led to a surge in investment in creative and engaging campaigns that resonate with potential travelers. Some of the most iconic campaigns have transcended traditional marketing, turning into cultural phenomena, and inspiring a new wave of wanderlust. This article highlights the top 10 travel marketing campaigns that have done just that, analyzing the strategies and impact that put them ahead of the pack.

Top 10 Travel Marketing Campaigns

Campaign 10: "get out there" - kayak.

Kayak's "Get Out There" campaign aimed to inspire wanderlust among its audience. Through vibrant visuals, the ads showcased breathtaking destinations, from serene beaches to bustling cityscapes. Each advertisement carried a clear message – the world is vast, and every place holds a new experience waiting to be uncovered. The digital-first campaign was embedded with interactive tools: a user could click on an ad and immediately be led to flight and hotel options for the showcased destination.

Kayak's "Get Out There" campaign was a bold statement in the increasingly digital world of travel planning. By implementing an aggressive multi-channel strategy that reached over 20 million users, Kayak achieved a 12% increase in app downloads within the first quarter of the campaign's launch.

• Social Media Blitz: With targeted ads across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, they reached the millennial demographic, seeing a 30% growth in social media engagement.
• Influencer Partnerships: Collaboration with travel influencers provided authentic voices that resonated with potential travelers, resulting in a 15% increase in user-generated content tagged with their campaign hashtag.
• Interactive Website Features: A special landing page offered personalized travel suggestions, driving an 18% increase in site visits.

Campaign 9: "Travel Yourself Interesting" - Expedia

Expedia’s campaign took a playful and humorous angle. The core message was simple: Traveling makes you a more interesting person. Ads featured individuals recounting bland, everyday experiences, juxtaposed with their far more intriguing travel tales. One memorable ad showed a man boring his friends with tales of his lawn maintenance, only to later captivate them with stories of his trek in the Amazon Rainforest.

Expedia's "Travel Yourself Interesting" campaign became a sensation for its humorous take on self-improvement, leading to a 10% growth in global bookings during the campaign period.

• Television Commercials: The humorous ads were broadcasted in key markets, reaching an estimated audience of 50 million, with a 20% increase in brand recall.
• Digital Engagement: Interactive online quizzes and social media challenges contributed to a 25% spike in website traffic.
• Partnership with Travel Bloggers: Engaging bloggers added credibility and a personal touch, resulting in a wider reach and deeper connection with the target audience.

Campaign 8: "The Airbnb Concerts" - Airbnb

Airbnb wanted to emphasize that travel isn’t just about where you stay, but what you experience. This campaign married unique Airbnb accommodations with intimate live music performances. Think of a jazz concert in a historic New Orleans mansion or an indie rock performance in a sleek Tokyo loft. The campaign was about moments and memories, providing travelers not just a place to sleep but an experience to cherish.

Airbnb's "The Airbnb Concerts" was a revolutionary campaign that bridged the gap between travel, music, and community. Over 100 unique concerts were held in various Airbnb locations around the world, leading to a 40% increase in bookings among the participating properties.

• Live Concert Experiences: Hosting concerts in unusual Airbnb venues, such as treehouses and lofts, created unforgettable experiences, selling out 95% of the events.
• Social Media Engagement: Videos and photos from the concerts were shared widely, generating over 5 million views on YouTube and trending hashtags on Twitter.
• Influencer Participation: Collaboration with famous musicians and influencers added prestige and drew substantial media attention, reaching an estimated 60 million people through various channels.  

Campaign 7: "Do it for Denmark" - Spies Travels

With Denmark experiencing a declining birth rate, Spies Travels crafted a cheeky and bold campaign suggesting that Danes should travel more to romantic destinations to boost their chances of conceiving. The campaign videos humorously implied that being in a relaxed vacation mode away from the daily grind might lead to increased intimacy among couples, and thus, increase the country's birth rate.

Spies Travels' bold and unconventional "Do it for Denmark" campaign focused on Denmark's low birth rate, cleverly encouraging couples to travel and procreate. This campaign's success was reflected in:

• Media Coverage: Featured in over 300 international media outlets, generating buzz worth millions in free advertising.
• Sales Growth: A 10% increase in holiday bookings within the campaign period, especially in romantic travel packages.
• Viral Video: The campaign video was viewed over 10 million times on YouTube in the first month alone.
• Awards and Recognition: The campaign won several marketing awards, establishing Spies Travels as a creative leader in the industry.

Campaign 6: "Unborder" - Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)

The "Unborder" campaign showcased the power of travel to transcend boundaries, be they physical, cultural, or psychological. Using visually stunning videos and images, SAS celebrated the global citizen's mindset. Scenes showcased diverse landscapes and cultures, intertwined with travelers from various backgrounds meeting, sharing moments, and understanding one another's worlds.  

SAS's "Unborder" campaign celebrated cultural diversity and connectivity, aiming to break down borders in both a literal and metaphorical sense.

• Emotional Resonance: Surveys showed a 25% increase in positive brand perception among those exposed to the campaign.
• Global Reach: Multi-language content ensured an international reach, connecting with audiences in over 30 countries.
• Influence on Travel Patterns: The campaign contributed to a 7% growth in international flight bookings through SAS.
• Social Media Engagement: User-generated content and shared stories reached over 5 million social media users, strengthening community engagement.

Campaign 5: "Spend Your Days Off" - Project: Time Off

Addressing the widespread issue of burnout and the tendency of many individuals, especially in high-pressure jobs, to skip vacations, this campaign was a clarion call to prioritize well-being. Using a mix of stark statistics about unused vacation days and heartwarming content showing families and individuals rejuvenating through travel, the campaign's central message was clear: Time off is essential, not just a luxury.

The "Spend Your Days Off" campaign from Project: Time Off tackled a significant societal issue, encouraging people to value their vacation time and prioritize well-being.

• Impact on Public Opinion: The campaign reached over 100 million people, contributing to a shift in public opinion about the importance of taking time off.
• Partnerships with Major Brands: Collaboration with several travel and lifestyle brands increased the campaign’s visibility, contributing to a 15% increase in associated travel package sales.
• Social Media Activism: Through hashtags and viral challenges, the campaign mobilized social media users, generating over 1 million shares and comments.
• Research Integration: By incorporating research data on work-life balance, the campaign positioned itself as an authoritative voice, leading to numerous mentions in major media outlets.

Campaign 4: "You’re Not You When You're Hungry" - Snickers Australia

A delightful twist on Snickers' global campaign message, the Australian edition juxtaposed the idea of being 'hungry and irritable' with the fatigue of long travels. Strategically placed in airports and travel hubs, ads humorously showcased how hunger could transform a calm traveler into a frantic, disoriented mess, suggesting that a Snickers bar could save the day.

Travelers, already familiar with the global "You're Not You When You're Hungry" slogan, appreciated the localized twist and situational humor. The relatability of being hungry and irritable during travels struck a chord. 

• Location-specific Advertising: By targeting travelers at airports, Snickers saw a 15% increase in sales within these locations during the campaign.
• Social Media Impact: Shareable content reached 2 million online engagements within the first two weeks.
• Brand Alignment: Maintained Snickers' global campaign message, resulting in a 10% rise in brand recognition among the travel audience.

Campaign 3: "Live There" - Airbnb

Instead of being a mere tourist, Airbnb's "Live There" campaign invited travelers to live like locals. It showcased real Airbnb hosts sharing genuine experiences with guests — from cooking together to exploring hidden neighborhood gems. The campaign was a departure from cliched travel ads, focusing on authentic local interactions over touristy hotspots.

Airbnb's "Live There" encouraged travelers to immerse in local cultures, shifting focus from accommodations to experiences.

• User Engagement: The campaign’s app features increased user interaction by 20%, enabling travelers to customize their experiences.
• Global Reach: Spanned 18 different markets, contributing to a 12% increase in international bookings.
• Media Partnerships: Collaborations with travel magazines and influencers created a 25% uplift in media coverage and online discussions about Airbnb's experiential travel offerings.

Campaign 2: "Shot on iPhone 6" - Apple

Apple showcased the powerful camera of its iPhone 6, not through technical jargon, but by spotlighting stunning user-generated travel photos taken on the device. Billboards, print ads, and digital campaigns proudly displayed these images with the caption "Shot on iPhone 6," turning everyday users into celebrated photographers.

Apple's "Shot on iPhone 6" brilliantly transformed travel photography, showcasing breathtaking landscapes captured on the iPhone.

• User-generated Content: Over 10,000 user submissions in the first month, creating a vast community of iPhone photographers.
• Sales Impact: A 9% increase in iPhone 6 sales was attributed directly to the campaign during its running period.
• Awards and Recognition: Several accolades for marketing excellence affirm Apple's position as an innovator in both technology and marketing.
• Influence on Industry: The campaign set a trend in mobile photography, with other brands following suit.

Campaign 1: "It's More Fun in the Philippines" - Department of Tourism Philippines

This vibrant campaign used catchy slogans, colorful visuals, and infectious local music to promote the Philippines as a top travel destination. It showcased everything from the country's pristine beaches and natural wonders to its rich cultural festivities and the warmth of its people.

The slogan "It's More Fun in the Philippines" became an anthem for both locals and travelers. It captured the heart of what the Philippines offers — an unparalleled blend of beauty, culture, and hospitality. The country saw a significant surge in tourist arrivals, rejuvenating local businesses and attractions. The slogan found its way onto merchandise, social media trends, and even local parlance, truly marking the campaign's success in engraining itself into the global traveler's psyche.

• Tourism Growth: A staggering 20% increase in international tourist arrivals in the year following the campaign's launch.
• Economic Impact: An estimated $1 billion boost to the local economy, benefiting various sectors tied to tourism.
• Social Media Virality: The hashtag #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines trended worldwide, with over 5 million uses on various platforms.
• Cultural Promotion: The campaign promoted local culture and natural beauty, creating a sustainable and responsible tourism model.

Break away from the common marketing tactics: Try Stories

One look at the top travel campaigns we've explored showcases a truth that cannot be ignored: individuality is a cornerstone of successful marketing. From Airbnb emphasizing local experiences to the vibrant charm of Philippine adventures, brands that present a unique, authentic message are the ones that resonate most powerfully with audiences.

As a brand, how do you craft a message that stands out in a saturated market? It's about making it personal. And in the digital age, personalization comes from interactive, engaging, and relatable content.

Try Mobile App Stories from InAppStories!   We take your user engagement and essential mobile metrics under control with our digital toolkit. But why does this matter for travel marketing?

• Immersive Experiences : Showcase your destinations with full-screen visuals and engaging narratives. Let your potential travelers experience a 'sneak peek' of their journey right from their mobile devices.
• Real-Time Engagement : With features like polls, sliders, and quizzes, you can gauge traveler preferences instantly. Want to know if they prefer beach holidays over mountain trekking? Just ask!
• Tailored Recommendations : Using the engagement data, offer personalized travel packages or deals that cater to individual preferences. If a user frequently interacts with beach holiday stories, send them a special offer on a seaside resort package!
• User-Generated Content : Encourage travelers to share their experiences through Stories within your app. There’s nothing more convincing than real travelers sharing authentic experiences.
• Stay Updated : Travel advisories, new destination launches, or special discounts – share time-sensitive information instantly through Stories.

InAppStory doesn’t just allow you to share content; it empowers you to create a dialogue, making your marketing efforts a two-way street. By leveraging this powerful tool, your travel brand can achieve a unique voice, one that listens as much as it speaks. Try them now and see how your mobile or web app will change.

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Category: Travel

Date: May 30, 2024

Innovative Travel Marketing Campaigns From Around The World

Creating a successful travel marketing campaign can be a challenging task for most of the travel marketers. With numerous travel agencies, airlines, and hotels in line, there is fierce competition for brand awareness.

A lot of travel marketing campaigns try hard to capture the curiosity of travelers, but fall flat. So, our expert digital marketers at ColorWhistle wanted to give you a little inspiration for your own travel and tourism marketing in 2023 and beyond.

From social media, video content, display, we searched for some of the most compelling travel marketing campaigns that inspired people to go on their next travel adventure.

Here’s a roundup of some of the most famous travel and tourism marketing campaigns you should check out.

Best Travel Marketing Campaigns From Around The World

We have segregated all the travel marketing campaigns into social media, video content and display ads. This will help you to frame a multi-channel strategy.

14 Best Examples of Travel Video Marketing Campaigns

Here are some of the most innovative travel videos.

1. KLM – Live Hologram Bar

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has built a hologram bar where people can meet to exchange local tips when they are waiting for flights. These holograms are placed in the airports of Amsterdam, Oslo and Rio de Janeiro.

2. Turkish Airlines – The Journey

Turkish Airlines released a short film called ‘The Journey’ where 90% of the film was airplanes and scenery. This short film has done a brilliant job promoting the airline and the destinations.

3. Iceland – Explore the a-ö of Iceland

The A-Ö of Iceland, a marketing campaign uses Icelandic alphabet to increase awareness of Iceland as a good place to visit; a great place to do business; and a place that provides great food and experience.

4. Cheapflights – Drag, Drop and Go

Cheapflights and agency Uncle Grey designed an ad banner that appeared on articles about sports, art, music events and relevant publications. The user had to simply drag the article image into the Cheapflights banner and it will instantly find the best tickets. Rather than focusing on destinations, it promoted experiences that people were already interested in.

5. Van Gogh’s Bedroom – Let Yourself In

To promote the Art Institute of Chicago’s 2016 van Gogh exhibit, Leo Burnett built Van Gogh’s Bedroom and listed it on Airbnb as a place for people to stay for a night. The campaign was a tremendous success.

6. Switzerland – Yodel Ay Hee Hoo

This ad campaign encouraged busy city people to visit the countryside. A live video feed was placed in the train station where a man was sharing information about his village and even printed train tickets in real-time.

7. Tourism Ireland – Fill your Heart

Tourism Ireland asked a married couple to wear a custom-made technology which had head-mounted cameras during their holiday in Ireland. The technology tracked their response to various experiences. They wanted to use this data to show the ‘heart-filling’ effect that Ireland has on visitors. This campaign has combined storytelling with technology.

8. Airbnb – Let’s Keep Travelling Forward

Geo-politically, 2018 was not a good year. When Donald Trump imposed a travel ban during that year, Airbnb immediately released a video highlighting the brand’s belief – “to limit travel is to turn back progress.” This campaign helped to voice the brand’s message to the world while staying relevant.

9. Hong Kong Tourism Board – VR Time Travel

When the Hong Kong tourism board launched a VR time travel experience with Timelooper, it wanted to show people that this will be an engaging experience. This VR experience enabled viewers to see the 1960’s Hong Kong, the battle between two kung-fu fighters on Hollywood Road, aircraft landing at Kai Tan airport and more. This campaign showcased the location in an innovative and engaging way.

10. British Airways – Safety Video

Safety videos are usually boring. But, British Airways turned it into a marketing opportunity. They made a safety video with actors Sir Michael Caine, Olivia Colman and comedian Chabuddy G. This video created a great online buzz for British Airways.

11. Easyjet – Imagine

Easyjet launched a £12m pan-European campaign in 2018 called ‘Imagine.’ It was a TV ad which showed the many wonders of air travel. Along with this, the company also ran ads across print, digital and social. This ad campaign helped viewers associate Easyjet with imagination and experience.

12. SNCF – Europe, It’s Just Next Door

The French National Railway operator wanted to encourage people to take the train to visit nearby countries. It placed blue doors in and around Paris. When a person opens the door, it will give an immersive digital experience of what they could see ‘next door’.

13. Tourism Quebec – Blind Tourist

Quebec is a place known for its outdoor lifestyle. But, Tourism Quebec wanted to show people that traveling can be more than just visual experience. They wanted to offer a rich experience to the senses in such a way that seeing things was only a small part of the picture. This ad has a very rich narrative.

14. Northern Ireland – Doors Of Thrones

Northern Ireland used the hit show Game of Thrones to draw tourists in. They took destroyed remnants of battered trees and carved them into 10 intricate doors. All these doors resembled the 10 episodes of season 6.

15. Helsinki Airport – Life In Hel

Helsinki was voted the best airport in 2016. They leveraged this success by running a campaign featuring Chinese actor Ryan Zhu. He lived in this airport for 30 days and shared the experience across social media and other video channels.

11 Best Examples of Creative Travel and Tourism Print Ads

Here are some of the most innovative print ads.

1. LATAM Airlines used the rainbow flag in a series of print ads

2. Norwegian Airlines utilized the Brangelina split to its advantage

3. Kielo Travel – Dreaming of a Holiday?

4. Detroiter Travel Center – You Made It

5. CVC – The World Is Outside

6. Cruise Ship Centers – Dreaming of a cruise?

7. Flight Center – Forget Work

8. WWF – Exploring the ecosystem also threatens lives

9. TBWA Buenos Aires – Medical assistance for travelers

10. Shchusev State Museum of Architecture – Discover the full story

11. Staedtler – Where it begins

13 Best Examples of Travel Social Media Campaigns

Here are some of the most innovative travel social media campaigns.

1. Eurostar

This Instagram campaign from Eurostar turned heads by trying something new. They wanted to promote train travel from London to Paris. So, they split an illustration of a journey from London to Paris into 200 Instagram tile images. Some tiles were videos and others were hidden offers.

2. Alaska Airlines

At the end of the year, many companies give gifts to customers and employees. Keeping this in mind, Alaska Airlines launched a fun promotional Twitter campaign by partnering with Starbucks. They gave a free Starbucks gift card to their guests.

3. Hawaii Tourism Department

The Hawaii tourism department wanted to give first-time visitors an idea of Hawaii’s beauty and culture. Plus, they also wanted veteran vacationers to visit the island again So, the tourism department collaborated with travel Instagrammers to get users to share their favorite Hawaii memory by using the hashtag #LetHawaiiHappen. The campaign was a huge success because ordinary users shared their own experiences.

4. WOW Airlines

WOW Airlines launched a Snaptraveler program where 4 winners would get to tour across all 28 of the airline’s destinations for free. In exchange, they have to post a Snap story about all the locations they visit. The idea of this summer Snapchat contest was to create a reality television-like experience, target their main demographic and share relevant content in WOW Airlines’ Snapchat account. Here is a short video of the campaign.

5. National Geographic

National Geographic launched a wanderlust contest for aspiring travel and nature photographers. They have to submit their own photographs with the hashtag #Wanderlustcontest. The idea behind this campaign was to improve National Geographic’s reputation as the leading source for beautiful travel photography.

6. Kenya Tourism Board

Kenya Tourism Board partnered with Expedia to promote Kenya and an incredible destination to travelers. They choose a famous travel blogging couple and sent them on a one week trip to Kenya with no fixed itinerary. The people following this couple on Instagram can decide the itinerary by voting through an Instagram Stories poll. Throughout the week, the couple broadcasted their journey to their Instagram followers. The content was also repurposed on a microsite. This campaign was a huge success. Here is a short video of the campaign.

7. Cheapflights Facebook Messenger

Cheapflights Chat launched the world’s first Facebook Messenger bot which allowed people to search for flights and hotels. The bot utilized seven APIs. To promote this chat, videos of fictional conversations were created and shared across Facebook. Here is the chat demo.

8. Hotels.com

Hotels.com dedicated an entire Facebook ad carousel to promote its “Gift $50, Get $10” holiday deal. Each slide focuses on the deal and also shows the different types of trips that people can take. This is a simple and memorable ad.

10. Visit PA

Visit PA wanted to push Pennsylvania as the perfect summer getaway. They used Facebook’s carousel ads format to show one panoramic photo in parts.

Airbnb created a unique Instagram video ad that showed users how the experience of discovering each activity in the Airbnb app will look like.

12. Air Canada

Air Canada ran an ad in the US during the night of the 2016 presidential election. That night, Canada’s Immigration and Citizenship site had so many visitors that it crashed. Air Canada learnt this sudden interest and targeted the ad towards people who are looking to fly outside the country.

13. Explore Georgia

Explore Georgia wanted to position itself as the most pet-friendly state in America. So, they created a social media strategy targeting millennial pet owners. They shared lots of posts with the hashtag #ExploreGeorgiaPup to show that Georgia was the perfect place to visit with a dog. This campaign generated lots of traffic to their website and also helped them to reach 10,000+ followers on their pet-friendly travel Pinterest board.

7 Best Examples of Travel Email Marketing Campaigns

Here are some of the most innovative travel email marketing campaigns.

1. Air Canada

During email sign-up, Air Canada asks new subscribers to tell their home airport and the destinations they are interested to travel. By using this information, they send personalized emails according to the interest of the subscriber.

For example, this email was sent to a subscriber whose home airport is in Montreal.

2. Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic proved that it can promote activities that focus on the journey and not just the destination. The company created a memorable customer experience by sending them email offers for virtual reality skydiving. The name of the campaign was Virgin Experience Days.

3. Fairmont Hotels

Loyalty is hard to find in the travel business because travelers always search for the best deal rather than a specific brand. However, if there is a reward program, it will encourage loyalty and repeat business.

Fairmont Hotels wanted to persuade their subscribers to sign up for their loyalty program through an easy sign-up form which included a call-to-action. Here’s the attractive email.

4. Flight Centre

Limited period offers always create a sense of urgency and encourages people to take action. Flight Center used this idea and offered cheap deals to New York City. To convey that this was a limited-time offer, they added a countdown clock at the bottom of the email.

5. Southwest Airlines

Subscribers will feel good if you send emails appreciating them. Southwest Airlines sent an email to its subscribers by adding their customer’s name, travel history and reward points they earned. This ‘thank you’ email also had smiling faces and diverse employees.

Holidays are the time when flight tickets might go up. Mostly, people book tickets at the last time and when the rates are high, they often get disappointed. To avoid this, Hipmunk sent a simple email announcing that prices will go up.

7. Memphis CVB

Memphis CVB wanted to improve awareness of Memphis by showcasing its many attractions and key events they must attend. Here is one of the custom emails they sent to their subscribers.

Drive Conversions and Boost your Business with Expert Travel Website Development.

It’s time to start your next travel marketing campaign.

We hope that the above travel marketing campaigns will inspire you to kickstart your next one. All of these ads have gone beyond the typical boring list of destinations, images and pricing. They show the power of timing, relevance and personalization – all of which are important to create a great campaign.

To create such ad campaigns, all you have to do is get creative, think big and dig deep to find inspiration in the destination you represent. The ideas you come with today will continue to inspire travelers for years to come.

If you need any help to create a travel marketing strategy, our experts at ColorWhistle are eager to assist you. Contact us today. We will help you to stand out from the crowd.

Have you seen a better online travel marketing campaign? Do share them in the comment section below.

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About the Author - Anjana

Anjana is a full-time Copywriter at ColorWhistle managing content-related projects. She writes about website technologies, digital marketing, and industries such as travel. Plus, she has an unhealthy addiction towards online marketing, watching crime shows, and chocolates.

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Effective Travel Ads: Examples and Ideas

Looking for fresh ideas on how to create ads for your travel business? In this article, we'll explore tourism advertisement, focusing on what really resonates with the viewers. We’ll share a selection of creative ideas and insights for marketers looking to kickstart their travel campaigns. Stay with us and get inspired.

Features of Engaging Travel Ads

Creating ads that grab attention and get stuck in one’s head, making them hum the ad’s catchy tunes on the way to work, isn't easy—it takes a whole team of creative minds. But even with all that creativity, these ads often share some key elements and are built on the same basic principles.

The 5 Commandments of Good Travel Ads:

1. Emotional resonance. Ads that evoke feelings of excitement, peace, or adventure tend to connect more deeply with viewers, encouraging them to imagine themselves in the setting.

2. Visual storytelling. Can’t afford a team of outstanding screenwriters? Luckily, in the tourism industry it’s often enough just to show what a destination looks like. This is the case, when an image speaks a thousand words, and a video is worth a thousand pictures.

3. Compelling narratives. Storytelling and a simple, but strong message is what truly sets great ads apart. Always keep in mind that people don’t want to buy tickets and tours - they pay for emotions, memories and adventures with their loved ones. If you want to create a strong message, define for yourself what your company’s mission is, and how exactly you aim to make your clients’ lives happier and easier.

4. Personalization. Speaking to a broad audience is rarely sufficient. Spend extra time to understand who your clients are. What are their lifestyles, budget, values? At what stage of decision-making are they? Are they just window shopping? Are they thinking about where to spend their honeymoons? Or maybe, they already have a destination in mind, and now search for the best deals? Conduct a survey, use big data and hire a strategy team to learn everything about your target audience.

5. Call to action. A self-explanatory, but often overlooked point. A strong CTA that clearly guides viewers on how to explore more about the destination or offer ensures the ad doesn't just captivate but also converts interest into action.

6 Best Travel Advertisement Examples

Let’s take a look at some travel ad examples to see how the industry giants do it.

1. American Express Travel

Why does this Delta SkyMiles American Express Cards ad work? It’s short, its message is perfectly clear and simple, and it speaks to a very specific demographic. If you’ve ever been in a long-distance relationship, you know how expensive it is to keep seeing your significant other frequently. Amex doesn’t offer their clients to save some money on flights. Instead, it offers to remove the obstacle that stands between them and their desired love lives.

In this ad , Amex offers exclusive access to event presales, to dedicated venue entryways and Card Member lounges:

Here is what the Vice President of Global Brand Advertising at Amex, Jessica Ling, has to say about this ad:

“Sports have the power to connect communities around the world. We’re excited to launch these high-energy, contextually relevant ad spots that show a mother and daughter building their connection through a shared love of sports. We hope by watching these stories, viewers will get a taste of the energy and excitement that comes with experiencing sports with Amex.”

2. Booking.com

What does the following Booking ad sell?

Right, it sells the opportunity to try oneself in different roles people don’t get to play in their everyday lives. Whether you're an office worker or a stay-at-home dad, book a vacation and be an explorer, an artist, or a professional surfer. This ad is a pro example of when a strong message gets across even without precise targeting.

And here is a banner ad by Booking:

It has several noteworthy features:

• a great photo, which conveys emotions;
• a clear and straigh-forward CTA;
• seasonality (it is tied to New Year -  a time, when most people probably reevaluated their life decisions and promised themselves to experience life more);
• a limited special offer.

Most companies strive to be omnipresent and reach viewers through all the possible channels. Here is an ad that runs across META platforms. Nothing fancy, but the main elements of a good ad are still here. It features a short video of surfers, a clear CTA that invites to install the app, and a short message that highlights the company’s main proposition - the possibility to find and book a place fast and easy. 

The company makes sure to dominate the search result pages too. Just last month they ran around 2.1M Search ads on Google:

And even though their Paid Ads game is strong, the company visibly invests a lot of resources into Search Engine Optimization . This way booking.com appears on the search result pages of most of the travel-related queries, saving a lot on clicks:

Most of the tourism industry giants use pop-up ads on their websites:

It’s a great opportunity to inform about your current special offers, or get visitors on the email list in return for some bonuses. You have to be careful with pop up ads though - sometimes they can do more harm than good. 

Read more about how to make effective pop up ads here . 

Another effective strategy that many companies use is user-generated ads:

Such approach kills several birds with one stone:

• it costs basically nothing;
• it serves as a social proof and makes the company look trustworthy;
• you get exposure among the users’ following.

Agoda also runs ads on Meta. This ad in particular is 6 seconds long, but enough for the actor to say the buzzwords:  “cashbacks, coupons, discounts”. Most companies use short formats on social media ads, saving longer and more complex video ads for Youtube.

And here is a beautiful campaign run by Agoda during the pandemic:

It shows sympathy for everyone stuck at home, and shifts the focus from closed borders to discovering places in our own countries. It’s compassionate and doesn’t pressure us to purchase anything. It simply suggests that now might be the time to see more of our own countries, and Agoda is here to help with special offers. 

The recipe is the same:

Understanding the pain of the target audience + strong positive message + beautiful emotional storytelling + great visuals. 

Be like other successful companies and don’t forget about mobile marketing . Travel companies that have mobile apps actively invest in Paid User Acquisition and App Store Optimization. 

But, of course, mobile marketing isn’t limited inside the app stores. Here is a creative and slightly dark YouTube ad from Kayak marketers, who did a great job at understanding the struggles of their target audience:

One more proof that the Kayak marketing team just gets us:

No, we’re not telling you to use politics in your marketing messages. But it’s always worth it to keep up with the latest news and trends, in which people are emotionally invested. If done tastefully, such ads are likely to become viral and connect with big audiences. 

Take a look at this campaign that ran on YouTube and TikTok:

Just perfect targeting. If you can, always address different segments separately.

This is an Expedia Facebook ad. If you look closely, you'll notice it's structured similarly to the travel ad examples from other companies we've discussed. It targets parents with family-friendly packages and features a clear call to action (CTA).

Expedia has a very strong social media game. Apart from the most popular media, it also runs ads on Pinterest, which has less competition and still isn't widely-used for advertising.

This video ad from Expedia is another good example of appealing to emotions and using a strong slogan:

If you’d like to get more inspiring ideas and see ad examples, choose a brand you look up to and browse through their social media and YouTube account. Also, Google, Meta and TikTok have open ad libraries that show what kind of campaigns run on the platforms at the moment. 

Ideas for Crafting Effective Travel Ads

Now let’s sum up what we have seen. Based on successful campaigns from leading companies, here are some straightforward ideas for making ads that connect with viewers and inspire action.

🥰 Make an Emotional Connection

Try to create a strong emotional bond with your audience. Like Agoda's campaign during the pandemic, show you understand and care about your audience's current challenges. Showing support for your clients without pushing for sales can make your brand feel more relatable and trustworthy.

🌍 Keep Up with Trends and News

As suggested in the Kayak example, staying updated with the latest trends and news can make your ads more relevant and engaging. This approach can help your ad become popular and connect with more people.

🤳 Use Content from Your Customers

‍ Add content made by your customers, as it's cost-effective and acts as proof of trust. Ads with content from users can make your brand seem more credible and expand your reach to the users' followers, making your company seem more reliable.

✔️ Show Clear Benefits

Make sure your ad clearly shows the unique advantages your service offers, like the Amex Miles Cards ad that focuses on solving a specific problem for its target audience. Ads that clearly state their benefits tend to work better.

🗂️ Target Carefully

‍ Make your message specific for different groups of people, as shown by Airbnb's campaign. The more personalized your ad feels to its viewers, the more effective it will be.

💡 Use Eye-catching Visuals and Easy-to-Remember Slogans

‍ Use striking visuals and catchy slogans to make your ads memorable. Expedia's video ad is a good example of how using emotions with great visuals and a strong slogan can make a big impact.

💰 Promote Special Offers and Benefits

‍ Don't hesitate to highlight special access, discounts, or special deals, as Amex Travel does. These incentives can be a key factor for people thinking about making a purchase.

➡️ Have a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

‍ Your ad should have a straightforward CTA, telling viewers exactly what to do next. Whether it's booking a trip, looking at discounts, or signing up for an email list, make the next step clear.

🍁 Take Advantage of Seasonal Trends

‍ Use seasonal trends and holidays to make your ads feel more timely and relevant. Booking.com's banner ad related to New Year's resolutions is a great example of how to connect with people's mindsets during different seasons and holidays.

By applying these simpler ideas, drawn from the practices of top travel companies, you can create effective travel ads that grab attention, spark interest, and get viewers to engage with your brand.

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We know managing ads can be tough. To make a successful campaign, you need strategic approach and creativity. But you don't have to figure it out by yourself. Promodo experts are ready to help you every step of the way, from researching the market and running A/B tests to launching pay-per-click campaigns and analyzing the results. Get in touch with us today, and let's talk about how we can help you reach your goals.

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Mastering Travel Advertising: Effective Strategies and Emerging Trends

You can’t rely solely on people’s wanderlust when advertising travel services because while it may keep your business afloat, it’s not enough to help you make waves in the industry.

Besides, people’s appetite for traveling is dependent on many factors and may decrease as a result of unforeseen events.

We’ve seen this happen when traveling took a hit in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is reflected in the industry’s spending data on digital advertising from previous years. While things are improving, a lot is riding on travel ads performing well.

For your vacation advertising efforts to be truly successful, you need a combination of good strategy and creative ads .

Stick with me as I walk you through the steps of building an actionable travel advertising strategy, including identifying your target audience, knowing the customer journey, setting your campaign goals, and measuring ads’ effectiveness.

Table of Contents

• Understand Your Audience
• Know the traveler’s customer journey
• Set your travel campaign goals
• Craft compelling ads
• Choose the Right Channels
• Measure your ads’ effectiveness

Travel Advertising trends

1. understand your audience.

A well-defined target audience is the foundation of any good travel advertising strategy. 

Just think what a waste of resources it would be to target users with no potential to become customers. Narrowing down the group allows you to focus your efforts on reaching those who would benefit most from your travel services.

Plus, with a clear target audience in mind, you can create travel ads that double as personalized customer experiences, proven to be more successful in converting to sales.

To define your audience, make a list of different attributes you’d like your ideal customer to have, a.k.a. build a buyer persona. These attributes can be geographic, demographic, psychographic, or behavioral. 

• Geographic : anything related to location, including customers’ country, region, city, or even postal code;
• Demographic : population-based attributes, such as gender, age, education, income, marital status, and so on;
• Psychographic : personality traits, values, interests, hobbies, and lifestyle aspects;
• Behavioral : online behaviors according to browsing patterns, spending and purchasing habits, and many others.

2. Know the traveler’s customer journey

The customer journey sums up all interactions a prospect has with a brand during the purchase process, from the first encounter, up until a transaction is completed. 

Commonly, it’s divided into three main stages: awareness, consideration, and conversion.

However, a traveler’s customer journey differs from the typical model because booking a trip isn’t an easy-to-make purchase decision; quite the opposite—a lot of thought and planning is put into it. 

I mean, would you buy plane tickets as quickly as you would a chocolate bar? Me neither.

So, the customer’s travel journey can be split into the following four to five stages: 

• Dreaming: whether it’s picturing themselves in a gondola on the canals of Venice or sunbathing in Greece, all soon-to-be travelers begin here.
• Planning: even the most spontaneous people make some sort of arrangement for their trip, even if it only implies picking a hotel to stay at.
• Booking: prospects are ready to buy plane tickets and book accommodation. 
• Experiencing: travelers are enjoying their vacation and making lasting memories.
• Remembering: this is an optional stage that comes after the traveler’s journey is completed, where you can consolidate the relationship with your brand .

Understanding this customer journey allows you to time your travel advertising to the most favorable moments, specifically when prospects are in the planning and booking stages.

3. Set your travel campaign goals

Goals or objectives give your travel campaigns a clear direction and help you measure progress along the way, so you don’t lose sight of the value of your work.

To yield the best results, you should set your campaign goals according to the S.M.A.R.T. criteria. The acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, all qualities your goals should have.

A few of the most common goals that can aid your campaign’s success are the following:

• Increase brand awareness by getting your travel services on the radar of potential customers;
• Grow website traffic or attract new visitors to your company’s website;
• Drive consideration through campaigns that promote different travel services;
• Generate leads , whether that means new subscribers to a newsletter or prospects filling out a form to find out more about an offer;
• Boost conversions , a.k.a. make sales.

4. Craft compelling ads

Use high-quality visuals.

Travel advertising relies heavily on visuals. Use high-resolution images and videos that showcase the destinations, experiences, and accommodations you offer. Invest in professional photography or use user-generated content with permission.

Tell a Story

People are more likely to engage with ads that tell a story. Highlight the unique aspects of the destinations and experiences you offer. Use customer testimonials and success stories to build trust and credibility.

Include Strong Calls to Action

Encourage potential customers to take action by including clear and compelling calls to action (CTAs) in your ads. Whether it’s “Book Now,” “Learn More,” or “Get a Free Quote,” make sure your CTA stands out.

Leverage Seasonality

Tourism is highly dependent on weather conditions, which creates three seasons in the travel industry: peak season, shoulder season, and off-season.

• Peak Season (High Season): Summertime (mid-June through August), when demand is at its highest.
• Shoulder Season: From April to mid-June and from September to October, when people still travel, but not as much as during peak season.
• Off-Season: From November to March, when travel businesses experience a decline in sales.

Seasonality isn’t necessarily negative for travel marketing as it provides a clear perspective over the coming months. Stay mindful of seasonal patterns and trends to understand when prospects are most likely to purchase plane tickets, accommodation, or all-inclusive offers. Timing your creative ads and tailoring your messaging according to these seasons can significantly influence purchase decisions.

5. Choose the Right Channels

There are numerous advertising platforms available, and the easiest way to identify the most suitable ones for your brand is to look at where your customers are spending time.

Generally, the following three platforms are obvious choices for most businesses: Google Ads: Running search or display campaigns on the Google ad network allows you to leverage Google’s massive reach and advanced targeting options to get in front of potential customers exactly when they are looking for travel services.

Social media ads: Whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok, advertising on social media helps you increase brand recognition and reach a wider audience at the same time. Plus, it gives you the chance to experiment with a wide range of ad formats, including image and video ads.

Email marketing: Email offers a direct communication channel with customers that you can use to send personalized messaging, as well as discounts and special offers. Besides, it’s a cost-effective marketing method that provides easily measurable results.

6. Measure your ads’ effectiveness

Even with a killer strategy up your sleeve, things might not go as expected. And even if they do, measuring the success of your travel campaign is vital to understanding how your vacation ads are performing. 

If everything is going well, you’ll know what to repeat with future campaigns, and in the opposite scenario, you’ll figure out how to optimize ads for success.

Luckily each advertising platform, including Google and Facebook , offers relevant metrics known as KPIs (key performance indicators) to track for the most popular campaign objectives. Hence, you know exactly what to look at.

Things work differently for email marketing campaigns, as you need third-party tools that also enable email automation to measure campaign performance.

Staying up-to-date with travel advertising trends is essential to keep your strategy fresh and compelling. Here are some current trends to consider:

Sustainability

Sustainable travel is gaining traction. Highlight eco-friendly practices and sustainable travel options in your ads to appeal to environmentally conscious travelers. Emphasize efforts such as carbon offset programs, eco-friendly accommodations, and sustainable travel itineraries.

Remote Work Travel

The rise of remote work has led to a new trend: the digital nomad lifestyle. Many professionals now have the flexibility to work from anywhere, making destinations that offer reliable internet, coworking spaces, and long-term stays particularly attractive. Advertise destinations as ideal remote work locations, emphasizing amenities and lifestyle benefits.

Solo Travel

Solo travel continues to grow in popularity, with more people seeking independent and personalized travel experiences. Create ads that cater to solo travelers by highlighting safe, welcoming destinations, solo travel packages, and opportunities for social activities and community engagement.

Wellness Travel

Wellness travel is on the rise as more people seek vacations that offer relaxation, health, and rejuvenation. Advertise spa retreats, yoga retreats, wellness resorts, and health-oriented travel packages to attract this growing segment.

What is the future of Travel Advertising?

• The future of travel advertising is expected to be highly personalized, leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver tailored content and offers to travelers. The focus will also be on creating immersive experiences through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), allowing potential travelers to explore destinations virtually before booking. Sustainability will play a crucial role, with more travelers seeking eco-friendly options and companies highlighting their sustainable practices in their advertising.

How important is social media for travel advertising?

• Social media is incredibly important for travel advertising as it allows brands to reach a broad audience, engage with potential travelers, and showcase destinations and experiences through compelling visuals and stories.

How can I measure the success of my travel advertising campaign?

• Success can be measured through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, click-through rates, conversion rates, return on ad spend (ROAS), and engagement rates on social media.

What are some effective strategies for off-season travel advertising?

• During the off-season, focus on highlighting unique experiences and deals that travelers can take advantage of. Use personalized marketing to target specific demographics and interests, and consider promoting destinations that offer activities suitable for the off-season.

How can influencers help my travel advertising strategy?

• Influencers can help by reaching a wider audience and building trust through authentic content. They can showcase your destinations and services in a relatable way, which can lead to increased engagement and conversions.

As seen from the strategy tips and information in this article, understanding and connecting with the customer is key in the travel industry. Hopefully, you’ve learned something new that you can implement when planning your future travel campaign or designing ads for it.

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Best Travel Marketing Examples From 12 Leading Brands

In an industry as dynamic and visually driven as travel, standing out from the crowd with exceptional marketing has never been more crucial.

According to Expedia, travelers consume an average of 303 minutes of travel content before booking. Additionally, nearly 1 in 5 are influenced by advertising to book a trip, with beautiful images, promotions and interesting experiences being the most impactful elements.

These numbers underscore the pivotal role marketing plays in shaping travel decisions.

But with so much competition, how do you make your brand shine through? Today’s travelers aren’t just looking for a place to go — they’re seeking an experience, a feeling and a story to tell. The best travel marketing campaigns not only visually transport their audience but also resonate on a personal level, forging a deep connection with their audience.

In this blog, we’ll explore how some of the leading brands in the travel industry have captivated audiences with their innovative campaigns. Buckle up as we uncover the best travel marketing examples from 12 top brands.

Accor is a hospitality giant known for its exceptional service and innovative marketing. One standout campaign was “31 Thank Yous,” in which members were invited to enter a giveaway every day for a chance to win daily prizes and a grand prize throughout December.

What made this campaign truly special? Accor went the extra mile with Personalized Videos tailored to each member, addressing them by name and highlighting their loyalty.

This personalized touch added a layer of authenticity and genuine appreciation, making members feel valued and seen. Plus, the video element was perfect for showing off the prizes and ramping up the excitement. Accor nailed it by blending visuals and personalization, creating a message that keeps its audience engaged.

Recognizing that nearly half of Germans mistook KLM for something other than an airline, the brand’s “We Are An Airline” campaign turned everyday experiences into opportunities to educate and improve customer engagement . The brand transformed into a restaurant serving in-flight meals, an ATM dispensing free tickets instead of cash and even took over a radio station.

This innovative campaign not only corrected misconceptions but also showcased KLM’s friendly and customer-centric brand personality. By combining immersive experiences with informative messaging, KLM engaged meaningfully with its audience and left a lasting impression.

One of Europe’s leading airlines, easyJet , knows that standing out is an essential goal in travel marketing. With its creative “Get Out There” campaign, the airline unleashed the Mona Lisa, David and more from their frames and displays, letting them enjoy their own European adventure firsthand.

This refreshing campaign isn’t just memorable — it taps into travelers’ desire for new experiences. Rather than just showcasing destinations, the spot showcases the excitement of the journey and reflects the brand’s “bold challenger spirit.”

From the Louvre to a sunny beach, easyJet’s message is clear: travel is about getting out there and embracing new adventures. Through the power of visual storytelling, the brand reminds its audience that travel is an opportunity to break free and discover the world.

Expedia , a household name in travel booking, took a leap forward last year by integrating ChatGPT into its app, offering travelers a personalized and seamless trip-planning experience. With this feature, travelers can chat within the app and receive tailored recommendations on where to go, stay and play.

In its commercial “Sonia & Bill,” Expedia showed the power of this integration. The ad depicted Sonia and her dog, Bill, using the new chat function to escape the cold and plan a spontaneous trip to “sunshine.”

Expedia’s commercial not only demonstrates the practical benefits of ChatGPT but also highlights the brand’s commitment to making travel accessible and personal. It’s a perfect example of how video can be used to showcase a brand’s new features and highlight its efforts to deliver an excellent customer experience .

Pro tip : Video is a great way to show off your brand’s great CX — but it can also improve the customer experience itself. Check out how Japan Airlines upgraded the pre-flight experience with informative Personalized Videos.

5. Celebrity Cruises

Known for its luxury voyages, Celebrity Cruises delivers immersive experiences on the high seas — and digitally. One of the ways this brand keeps its loyal passengers coming back for more is through personalized offers delivered via video. By tailoring their promotions to individual preferences, Celebrity Cruises makes each customer feel, well, like a celebrity and engages them with exclusive opportunities that appeal to their tastes.

By combining stunning footage with tailored messages, Celebrity Cruises paints a vivid picture of the adventure that awaits and creates a compelling case for booking another unforgettable journey.

This leads to real results — our travel clients see 5x-10x higher conversions with Personalized Video compared to text or image-based email marketing.

6. British Airways

In the travel industry, every detail, even the obligatory safety video, becomes an opportunity to connect and engage with passengers on a deeper level.

British Airways’ latest onboard safety video — “The Original Safety Briefing” — seamlessly blends necessary safety instructions with quintessentially British moments. With appearances from British celebrities like Ncuti Gatwa and Kaya Scodelario, along with real-life Britons, the video paints a vivid picture of British culture while ensuring passengers pay attention.

As attention spans seem to grow shorter and shorter, visual storytelling becomes a powerful tool. British Airways understands this, using a diverse cast and engaging narrative to capture attention, deliver crucial information and leave a memorable impression on passengers.

7. Kensington Tours

Kensington Tours prides itself on crafting personalized trips tailored to each traveler’s preferences, ensuring that no 2 trips are the same. It’s no surprise then that their marketing communications mirror this tailored approach.

The Personalized Video below addresses the viewer, in this case, Alex, by name, thanking him for choosing Kensington Tours for their “New Zealand Discovery” adventure and inviting him to reach out to book another unforgettable trip.

Incorporating Personalized Video was a perfect move for a brand that’s all about personalized experiences. By speaking to Alex directly and including the name and number of his dedicated destination expert, Kensington Tours elegantly shows its dedication to providing personal service to travelers.

Delta’s commitment to going above and beyond for its loyal customers is clear through its personalized year-in-review campaigns. These videos, tailored for Delta Medallion members, are a celebration of each traveler’s adventures, complete with fun stats like total miles, trips taken and destinations explored.

Year-in-review campaigns like Delta’s aren’t just about numbers — they’re about building connections. By celebrating the individual journeys of their customers, Delta fosters a sense of accomplishment and appreciation that keeps travelers coming back for more.

9. Universal Orlando Resort

As travelers increasingly turn to online platforms for trip inspiration and planning, creating standout content becomes paramount for travel brands. Universal Orlando understands this well and their “Checked In” YouTube series is a great example of how to do it right.

Led by guide Leyla, the series takes viewers on a virtual tour of Universal Orlando’s themed hotels. From spotlighting the pools to the rooftop bars, the video series immerses viewers in the Universal experience before they even step foot on the property and gets them excited for their next stay. Check out one of the most popular episodes below.

Universal Orlando’s “Checked In” series is just one example of how video content can elevate a brand’s marketing efforts. Through dynamic visuals and engaging narration, video brings destinations to life in ways that words and images alone cannot, offering an immersive way to showcase the best a brand has to offer.

How much can you say in 40 seconds?

Looking to reshape perceptions, TUI launched a creative campaign showing how it has more to offer than just “sun and beach” style holidays.

The campaign, which featured a 40-second film, showcased TUI’s diverse selection of city breaks and experiences and shined a spotlight on how the brand is a one-stop shop for everything from flights and hotels to curated experiences.

By portraying the ease of booking city escapes with TUI’s app, the brand simplifies travel planning and makes it accessible to all. Meanwhile, the focus on unforgettable moments — sunset views of the Brooklyn Bridge or car rides past the Colosseum — emphasizes that TUI offers memorable experiences, not just transportation or accommodations.

11. Lufthansa

Another standout travel marketing example comes from Lufthansa and its AI-driven ad campaign , powered by IBM Watson.

Imagine engaging with an ad that not only answers your questions but also provides tailored recommendations for 15 European destinations. From Athens to Stockholm, Lufthansa’s AI-powered ad offered a virtual tour complete with travel facts, tips, image and video galleries and even the option to book a flight.

By embracing AI, Lufthansa didn’t just inspire wanderlust — it made the discovery stage more engaging and tailored than ever before.

Did you know? AI has become increasingly prevalent in modern content strategy, making marketers’ lives easier. For instance, our Enterprise AI Video solution has revolutionized the video creation process, making it possible for brands to swiftly produce videos at scale.

12. Disney Vacation Club

Known for creating unforgettable experiences for families around the world, Disney Vacation Club offers a unique approach to travel, combining the comfort of home with the fun of Disney. But what sets them apart in the marketing game? It’s all about a personal touch.

Imagine receiving a video message addressed directly to you. This personal touch adds a sprinkle of that trademark Disney magic, elevating it from a generic message to an intimate invite.

By personalizing the video, Disney taps into the heart of what fans love about it: the ability to make every guest feel special and cherished.

It’s this commitment to creating truly personalized guest experiences that sets Disney apart and keeps travelers coming back for more.

Get Inspired

The world of travel marketing is evolving and it’s doing so in incredibly innovative ways. From personalized AI-powered ads to immersive experiential campaigns, the possibilities are endless when it comes to attracting and engaging travelers.

If you’re seeking more inspiration to elevate your travel marketing, check out our gallery of Personalized Videos for travel and hospitality . Whether you’re an airline, cruise line or a luxury hotel, we’ve got the tools and expertise to help you create unforgettable experiences for your guests.

Ready to take your marketing to new heights? Discover how Personalized and Interactive Videos can transform your customer experience and set your travel brand apart.

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5 Killer Tourism Marketing Campaigns That Make Us Want to Travel

May 9, 2022

Chasing wonder; seeking escape; seizing the chance to spread your wings and get away from digital devices for a week or two — that’s what the best vacations are all about.

But where to go on vacation? A romantic getaway to Bora Bora? The Grand Canyon trip you’ve planned with your sibling since childhood? Machu Picchu with your old college roommates? Or a visit to grandma in Albuquerque? As the world slowly spins back to normal, we all have so many choices about where to travel; it can be tough to decide. The best tourism marketing campaigns help turn travelers’ indecision into action, showing off the beauty of a destination or showcasing the legacy of the local culture. Here are a few of our favorites.

The Wonder Remains

With its world-class theme parks, sizzling nightlife, and close access to the natural beauty of Central Florida, it’s no surprise that Orlando is the most popular travel destination in the United States for summer 2022. In 2021, Visit Orlando launched the stirring tourism advertising campaign The Wonder Remains to welcome travelers back to The City Beautiful. 

Set to a soothing piano track and featuring video footage of some of the best experiences to be found at the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, and Discovery Cove, The Wonder Remains instills a sense of calm and normalcy following a hectic and frightening pandemic. This great tourism campaign shows that Orlando is as it always was, and always will be — an oasis of excitement for travelers and dreamers of all ages to discover.

#VisitCancun

Visit Cancun hasn’t produced any tourism video advertising in years — but that hasn’t stopped Cancun, Mexico from becoming the world’s top travel destination in summer 2022. Instead of video ads, Visit Cancun relies on social media for its destination marketing campaigns.

With more than 606k followers on Facebook , 169k followers on Instagram and 64k followers on Twitter , Visit Cancun inspires wanderlust with daily posts that highlight the natural wonders, vibrant nightlife, and unique character of Cancun. Followers are invited to join in the fun through the hashtag #VisitCancun, and Visit Cancun often shares posts from influencers.

Some of the best tourism advertising has a clear social conscience and Visit Cancun is no exception. In addition to sharing beautiful photos of crystal-clear waters and romantic beachside weddings, Visit Cancun puts a guide for responsible travel front and center to help ensure that travelers experience Mexico safely. A guide like this can be a great content marketing opportunity, and the best tourism advertising makes the most of it.

Mālama Hawaii

Honolulu, Oahu and Kahalui, Maui are America’s third and fourth most-frequented tourist destinations, respectively. With so many travelers preparing to say “Aloha” to Hawaii this summer, Go Hawaii created the moving Mālama Hawaii tourism advertising campaign to welcome them to the islands.

Beginning with Hawaii Is Our Home , Mālama Hawaii is a sweeping campaign with many beautiful and inspiring videos on safe and responsible travel, land and ocean conservation, and the rich legacy of Hawaiian cultural traditions. On the tourism campaign website , travelers can discover various ways to give back to Hawaii while vacationing on the islands.

In Hawaiian, “mālama” means to “take care.” Encouraging travelers to “Take a Trip that Gives Back,” Mālama Hawaii is proof that the most meaningful vacations are those taken with deep respect for your destination — and that the most meaningful tourism advertising campaigns are those that deeply respect their audience.

Named for and featuring Lenny Kravitz’s iconic 1998 funk rock hit Fly Away , The Islands of the Bahamas ’ new tourism campaign Fly Away shows off the majesty of the Bahamian landscape and the thrills of Bahamian culture — at a time when Nassau is the 7th most-visited tourist destination in the world.

Kravitz himself even makes appearances throughout the multi-video campaign, riding a horse on the beach in the central ad and discussing the resilience of Junkanoo music in a featurette. Fly Away is an excellent example of subtlety in celebrity endorsement. Kravitz is featured in logical ways, but the star of the tourism campaign is still the Bahamas.

Sometimes, the best tourism advertising campaigns practically write themselves. Who doesn’t want to fly away to the Bahamas right now?

Basecamp Denver

Produced as a miniature reality show, Basecamp Denver is a three-part tourism video campaign that invites viewers to “Use Denver as your basecamp for all your Rocky Mountain adventures.” In the first video, a family learns about fly fishing; in the second, a young woman discovers mountaineering; and in the third, a group of friends goes mountain biking.

What we love most about Basecamp Denver is its uniquely grounded approach to tourism advertising. Structuring these ads in a reality show style makes them feel human and accessible in ways that some tourism campaigns aren’t. Following these families’ and friends’ journeys through Denver makes us want to book a flight to the 303 — which is America’s 10th most-traveled-to destination for summer 2022 — and tag along.

Not into Leaving on a Jet Plane?

If you’re staying in the U.S. for the summer and looking for something a little closer to home, the National Park Service’s enduring Find Your Park tourism campaign can help you find an exciting state or national park to explore nearby. Check out Parks Project for a new outfit to wear on your visit; this company is a great example of the power of brand collaboration in marketing, and how fashion can help make once-staid brands feel vibrant and exciting again. 

Wherever you roam in the months to come, we at TrendyMinds wish you safe travels from Kokomo to Havana — and all around the world. And if you're a marketer planning a tourism ad campaign for an international audience, read our blog post about the importance of cultural sensitivity in advertising .

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10 best travel ads that will make you book your next vacation in seconds

May 10, 2024

As the world recovers from the pandemic, travelers are keener than ever to find their next vacation spot. And the companies’ and countries’ tourist offices are wasting no time trying to attract as many visitors as possible to their destinations. 

To show you some of the true gems in travel advertising, we’ve put together a list of the 10 best travel marketing campaigns that will make you want to book your next holiday ASAP. Plus, a little background on tourism marketing.

So let’s dig in!

What is tourism marketing?

Tourism marketing refers to strategically promoting travel destinations, attractions, and services to potential visitors. As part of tourism marketing, companies from the various aspects of the tourism industry develop targeted marketing campaigns on various channels to spread compelling messages to attract tourists.

Each tourism campaign aims to increase awareness, generate interest, and ultimately drive visits from local and international visitors.

10 best tourism marketing campaigns

Here are the ten best tourism campaigns and ads:

1. Switzerland – Yodel Ay Hee Hoo

Is there a better way to promote the countryside than by inviting various people from a train station to spontaneously take a day off from work and enjoy the beautiful and peaceful Alps?

That’s exactly what the Switzerland tourist office did in one of their endearing tourism campaigns and sent the important message of how often we forget to take a step back to relax from our busy daily schedules. 

The creators made the travel ad even more authentic by live streaming from the Alps, with an elderly man inviting everyone from the Zurich train station to come join him. 

Intending to inspire travelers, this innovative approach caught daily commuters off guard and made them question whether to take a free daily ticket to the Alps or to continue their regular trip to work. 

2. Travel Oregon – Only Slightly Exaggerated 

Whether you’re watching an ad for the latest toothpaste or a fantastic new trip destination, they all have one thing in common – they exaggerate how great they are. 

Travel Oregon used this common motive in their “Only Slightly Exaggerated” tourism campaign to paint Oregon as a unique, dreamy, cartoon-like destination. 

The ad shows that Oregon mountains are more magical than anywhere else, rivers hide secrets never seen, and the streets offer entertainment like nowhere else. Just like in your childhood dreams! 

3. Iceland – OutHorse Your Emails

Being able to disconnect from work when on vacation is something that many of us struggle with these days. Luckily, Iceland found a perfect solution for the problem – outsourcing your emails to Icelandic horses. All you have to do for that is come to Iceland, and the rest will be taken care of.

This quirky ad is an amazing example of how creative and funny countries can get in attracting new tourists. 

4. Sweden – Spellbound

Have you heard of Dark Tourism? If you’re a fan of horror stories and mystic movies, then you certainly did! And you’ll absolutely love what Visit Sweden released this year as an attempt to attract a specific target audience with their unique tourist marketing campaign.

Their Spellbound campaign invites mystique lovers to Sweden to explore beautiful nature while enjoying the unique experience of listening to a chilling audio story. The campaign was set up so that a Spotify playlist would only become available to visitors once they came to a specific location. 

This way, they had to visit the location to get the unforgettable and scary experience. Who would’ve thought that horror stories could be such a great way to advertise a country?

5. Tourism Ireland – What Fills Your Heart?

You can never go wrong with a heartwarming tourist marketing campaign that celebrates good spirits, brings nostalgia, and connects people to the nature and the culture of one place. Tourism Ireland managed to do all that in one of their recent campaigns titled “What Fills Your Heart?”

In a series of ads with famous Irish actresses in the main roles, including Derry Girls and Sharon Horgan , the Irish tourist board told the story of Irish history, culture, and customs. 

Source: youtube.com

6. Vienna – What Does A Belly Do In Vienna?

There is no better place for a hungry and heartbroken belly to indulge in life’s beauties than Vienna. That’s the story Vienna’s tourist board told in their highly creative and surrealistic short film. 

As the belly walks through the streets of Vienna, trying to forget his dear human who didn’t treat him well, we get a glimpse of what tourists can see and enjoy during their next visit to the city. 

The creator’s unique approach to promoting Austria’s capital wins the creativity award and is an excellent magnet for new tourists. 

7. Only in Scotland – Why Scotland Needs You

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries struggled to attract tourists. People were concerned about their safety and if the location could provide memorable experiences despite numerous restrictions. 

At that time, Scotland released a beautiful ad showing why Scotland needs people while showing tourists why they’re the ones who actually need a holiday in this astonishing place. The ad is in the spirit of hope, serenity, and relaxation – everything people needed during the pandemic. 

8. KLM – Live Hologram Bar

Imagine spending hours at the airport talking to almost anyone in the world. You could learn about different cultures, what to visit in your next destination, or chat to make the time go by faster. 

In their 2019 marketing campaign, KLM placed hologram bars in airports around the world and allowed travelers from different parts of the world to connect and exchange their stories. Not a bad way to spend your time waiting for your next plane. 

9. Croatia Full of Life – Ode To Joy

What is a summer vacation in Croatia other than your own yearly ode to joy? 

This famous symbolic motif is what Croatian Tourist Board chose for the promotional campaign in 2012, and earned a prestigious travel industry ‘Oscars’ award, ‘Das Goldene Stadttor,’ at the International Tourism Film Festival. 

Beethoven’s inspiring music narrative, led by cellist Ana Rucner carries the video highlighting the rich cultural, historical, and natural heritage of Croatia as well as many Croatian beauties. 

10. Chicago Not in Chicago

In 2022, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced the launch of the “Chicago Not in Chicago” campaign to show how Chicago has inspired many other iconic cities worldwide. 

This creative campaign featured city tour buses across major US cities where people got a tour of Chicago instead of the city they were visiting. And by first confusing and then entertaining the visitors, the campaign sent a powerful message that every city has a story – a Chicago story. 

Final thoughts

When it comes to travel marketing campaigns, the sky’s the limit. Countries and companies can use many different sources of inspiration to tell unique stories about a location or a travel service. 

And these travel marketing campaigns are a great example of how creativity combined with emotional appeal is a recipe for success. The only question remains: “In which of these locations did you book your next vacation?”

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The Best Marketing Campaigns for Travel and Tourism

An in-depth guide to the best-performing digital campaigns for marketers in the travel and tourism industry to drive engagement, conversion, and long-term relationships with their customers.

By Michael Lee

15 min read

Introduction

Almost every industry was transformed by the pandemic, but none so much as the travel and tourism industry.

Now that the world has opened back up, people are making plans with renewed enthusiasm and new priorities. Staying home left people with a lot of time to daydream about their next travel destination and the lingering items on their bucket lists. Generic travel excursions are out and unique, personalized experiences are in as consumers search for more meaningful vacations. That search usually begins and ends online, and your digital marketing must keep up with this quick-moving audience motivated by pent-up demand.

How do you stand out from the crowd with your digital marketing strategies and tap into what this hungry audience wants? Your competitors are vying for their attention too, and you don’t want to be left behind.

If you're considering an upcoming tourism campaign, upgrading your social media marketing, or just looking for something other than traditional marketing strategies, you're not alone. Companies across the world have come to the realization that now is the time to use every tool possible to attract and retain new customers in their target audience.

Here’s a guide on the best-performing travel marketing campaigns and tourism marketing campaigns and how you can use them to your advantage to take your digital advertising to new heights.

Campaigns That Increase Conversion Rates

Travel and tourism campaigns that increase conversion rates, automated price drop notifications.

Customers want to find the best price without having to constantly monitor your site for updates.

Give deal hunters and budget-conscious travelers an enticing reason to become a subscriber (and eventually a customer) by providing them with the option to watch their desired flights and bookings. Automatically send a price drop notification or availability update as soon as there is a change. Plus, you can use your visitors’ preference data to offer them relevant recommendations as alternatives in case there are no new updates regarding their desired destination.

AI-powered Personalized Recommendations

Sub-par, irrelevant search experiences are incredibly frustrating. Visitors want recommendations of products and services they would actually want to purchase.

Using native AI recommendations, you can make your customers feel like you’re reading their minds by serving them personalized offers on flights, hotels, car rentals, and more based on their past behavior, then matching them with real-time, available inventory. You can choose a model that suits your needs, such as collaborative filtering, which harnesses user and product data to provide recommendations based on customers with similar interests.

Contextual Personalization

Providing the best possible customer experience is dependent on you truly understanding your visitors. What are their purchase drivers? Is it price? Convenience? Exclusivity, perhaps? Without understanding each visitor’s context, you can’t deliver true real-time 1:1 personalization.

AI-driven contextual personalization provides a major edge in A/B testing by determining which offer a customer is most likely to convert with from the very start of the testing. Whether it’s a discount, a free service, or a service upgrade, AI can help you match the right promotion to the right customer at the right time, offering a faster path to valuable insights and results than traditional A/B testing.

Personalized Newsletters

Newsletters typically have lower engagement and conversion rates — mostly because they are automated and on batch-and-blast schedule

Email is a noisy place to attempt to reach potential travelers, so it’s no surprise that newsletters typically have low engagement and conversion rates — mostly because they’re usually generic. Grab your prospect’s attention with personalized emails that feel so relevant to their interests that they have to click. For example, to engage a potential customer who has a clear affinity for Spain, customize the email to lead with a header image of Barcelona followed by trip ideas to Mallorca and Ibiza. This can be done through advanced customer segmentation, combining zero- and first-party data to come up with a list of criteria for your customer to be added to a segment.

Abandoned Bookings Retargeting

Your visitors are thinking about booking with you and even take the step of adding to cart or getting to the reservation page. Then…nothing happens.

An abandoned booking is an excellent opportunity for conversion. Using a variety of channels, you’ll want to get in front of your prospect everywhere they go online to remind them (“hey, you forgot something”) and sweeten the deal with special discount offers. Your retargeting campaigns should include email, SMS, push notifications, and paid ads on social media, where you can use Facebook Conversion API to serve prospects dynamic information about their unfinished bookings. Personalize your ad content to get higher conversion rates and reduce customer acquisition costs.

Prediction-based Goals

How do you really know you’re targeting the right customers and not wasting valuable ad spend?

Using AI prediction models, you can determine which visitors are most likely to book a trip or identify those unlikely to. From there, you should create a different set of goals for each of these two segments. For prospects likely to book, provide an immediate bonus during their session and increase in-session goal completions; for those unlikely to make a purchase during the session, offer an incentive for them to subscribe to your email newsletter and focus on converting them further down the line.

Zero-party Data Collection

Expectations for data privacy continue to rise, which means companies need a better approach to gathering traveller data and preferences.

The best data is data you can trust. Using zero-party data collection , ask your visitors to tell you their preferences directly. Allow them to configure their own experiences by providing you with their preferred destinations, price ranges, number of travellers, and more. Use personalization tools to collect these directly on your website and app, and adjust their offers in real time.

Local Social Proof Recommendations

Travellers tend to trust recommendations from other travellers, but how do you surface these to them in a meaningful way?

Showing the most popular destinations for those in your subscriber’s region can act as social proof and inspiration to choose the next trip. What are other Berliners looking for? Where are your neighbours spending their vacations? What experiences are people closest to you looking for? Use this info to present relevant offers on your website and app or via email.

Campaigns That Increase Long-term Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

Campaigns that increase customer lifetime value (cltv), omnichannel welcome flow.

Your ideal prospects have recently subscribed, but they’re not yet ready to make a booking.

Go beyond email in welcoming new subscribers. In addition to launching an automated welcome email series — designed to introduce customers to your brand and ultimately incentivize them to make a purchase — create an omnichannel campaign that helps you stay top of mind. Using SMS/MMS, push notifications, in-app messages, and paid ad content, you can stay visible at multiple points of a prospect’s buying journey. When they’re finally ready to book a trip, they’ll be more likely to choose your brand.

Find Customers on Social Using High-intent Lookalike Audiences

You’ve had success gaining valuable customers, but now you want to win over more high-value travellers. How can you target your ideal audience?

Once you’ve incorporated a solid social media strategy into your omnichannel approach, you can create lookalike audiences to find high-intent prospects with similar purchasing potential. Based on a seed list of your own first-party customer data — which can include past behavior, customer attributes, and predictions — you can target new customer segments with the highest lifetime value on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Best Channel Prediction

The nature of digital media and the modern buyer journey means your customers interact with your brand across multiple channels and touchpoints. How do you know which channel your customer is likely to show up on and convert?

In the travel industry, the decision-making process is longer than it is in general retail, so it’s important to find the channels where your customers are active to stay top of mind in the long term. Using AI predictions, you can determine the channels where a customer is most likely to engage with your content, which makes your distribution more effective and increases conversion rates.

Upsell Campaigns

You’ve already spent valuable marketing dollars to get visitors to choose your brand. Now, you need to maximize booking value to increase ROI.

After all the hard work of acquiring a new customer, it’s time to show them what else you can offer. Using the information from their purchase and the zero- and first-party data you’ve been collecting, hook them again as they prepare for their trip and increase the booking value. Create an upsell/cross-sell campaign featuring engaging content about recommendations of places to visit and activities to do, combined with additional services such as room upgrades, extra luggage, car rentals, and more. Emails are the most effective way to do this, as they can be seamlessly integrated with transactional communication.

Transactional and Marketing Communications Combines

Visitors expect consistent and personalized communications from travel companies to make their experience a good one.

Some of the most effective travel email campaigns combine savvy storytelling and stunning visuals with transactional calls-to-action — and, as a best practice, the more personalized, the better. By using the same email service provider (ESP) for both transactional and marketing communication, you can maintain consistency in messaging, branding, and templates. But most importantly, you can also combine the information a customer is looking for with additional offers to capitalise on high engagement.

Seasonal Promotions

Travellers seek to plan ahead by searching for the best deals during holidays or festive periods, and don’t want to be disappointed with a lack of availability or unaffordable prices.

Many people travel for events or have event-based travel on their bucket list, and it’s advantageous to find those customers and appeal to this desire. Start by identifying audiences who frequent seasonal events — for example, a music festival such as Tomorrowland or a cultural event like Oktoberfest — using data available from browsing behavior, past purchases, and recent views. Then, target them well in advance of the event with available inventory and the most up-to-date pricing ahead of the peak rush. Your customers will feel you’re looking out for them and their interests and you’ll drive repeat bookings — a win-win.

Build Customer Loyalty

Campaigns that build customer loyalty, thank your customer campaigns.

The most loyal visitors want to feel appreciated. If you don’t do enough for them, you won’t be able to push them to be brand ambassadors.

Nurture and thank your most loyal visitors — your “customer champions” — with rewards and special offers. You can find these customer champions by using RFM (recency, frequency, and monetary) segmentation, which will keep your loyal customers list up to date. Then, create a loyalty email series using loyalty tiers segmentation. Use data about average time between bookings to find the perfect time to email them and offer a special bonus for their next journey. Your customer champions will love it and it’ll grow your CLTV.

Win-back Campaigns

When customers haven’t made a booking in a while, it’s easy for them to completely lapse and never interact with your brand again.

Don’t let a customer forget about you, which can be common in the crowded travel landscape. Using RFM segmentation, you can target customers who have made a purchase in the past, but haven’t purchased recently. Launch a personalized win-back campaign using data from their past and current preferences and purchases to provide them with recommendations of similar offers, as well as new offers to discover.

Gamify Loyalty Programs and Rewards

Customers are increasingly choosing brands that provide meaningful experiences with their personal data and reward loyalty in an interesting way.

Take your loyalty program to the next level by incorporating games that incentive customers to purchase more frequently and trade their loyalty points for rewards. Spin-to-win games, friend-referral challenges, and more tap into multiple aspects of psychology including reward-seeking behavior and competitiveness. Using personalized content, create special offers for achieving new loyalty levels and reward long-term champions with discounts based on their point totals.

Feedback Campaigns

Not knowing what your customers liked or didn’t like about their visit will only lead to making the same mistakes in the future.

Close the loop on each booking by following up with a feedback email campaign that asks your customers to fill out a survey about their experience. Use the feedback data to score your customers based on their experience and create customer segments based on that feedback score. With real-time connection to your CRM or help desk systems, you can filter out customers who have a booking issue (cancellation, delay, change, etc.) and send them automatically to the help desk. The same can be done with those who provide negative feedback to immediately take action.

Reengagement Campaigns

The people in your database who have been inactive for a long time provide a great opportunity to regain revenue and create new loyal customers, but it’s not always easy to know how to start reengaging them.

When customers go dark — as in not clicking on any of your emails or other content — it’s time for a reengagement campaign. Track down these customers where they are online using omnichannel orchestration , targeting them through email, SMS, push notifications, in-app, or paid ad campaigns on Google or social media. Ask them clearly and simply why they stopped engaging. It helps to incentivize them by offering a gift or prize for providing feedback. This best practice strengthens your relationship with customers and also improves your lists. Reengagement campaigns should be used as a last attempt before unsubscribing an inactive user yourself — a healthy database brings a better customer experience, as you only send content to those who are interested in it.

Don't Settle For Less Than The Best With Travel Marketing Campaigns

With travellers both eager to get out and more particular than ever with who they purchase from, you’ll need to take advantage of a marketing campaign like the ones mentioned above to inspire travelers to establish loyalty with your brand.

If you’re ready to put some (or all) of these into practice, then look no further than Bloomreach Engagement . Our powerful platform unifies your customer data into a single customer view, making it easy to launch omnichannel campaigns across 13 channels. Plus, our AI makes it possible to personalize content and recommendations for your customers in real time, so you can drive faster ROI in a competitive industry.

Learn more about how Bloomreach Engagement can facilitate the best travel marketing campaigns today.

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10 Best Travel & Tourism Ads

Last updated on: May 28, 2024

The world of travel and tourism is a realm of endless exploration and discovery, where the allure of new destinations and experiences beckons adventurers from every corner of the globe. Amidst this vast and competitive landscape, the art of capturing the essence of a destination and inspiring wanderlust has given rise to some of the most captivating and memorable advertising campaigns. These advertising campaigns are not just advertisements,  they are portals to a world of breathtaking landscapes, vibrant cultures, and unforgettable journeys. In this article, we delve into the realm of travel marketing and unveil the 10 Best Travel and Tourism Advertising Campaigns that have successfully transported viewers to distant shores, inviting them to embark on incredible adventures.

Table of Contents

Incredible India Ad by Incredible India

The “Incredible India” campaign, launched by the Government of India, is a global initiative to promote India as a premier travel destination. This particular ad by “Incredible India” encapsulates the country’s astonishing diversity and rich cultural heritage. It visually narrates the story of India’s vibrant festivals, ancient traditions, and breathtaking landscapes. The ad seamlessly blends scenes from bustling cities, tranquil rural areas, historical landmarks, and spiritual sites, showcasing India as a land of contrasts and wonders. It appeals to a global audience, inviting them to explore the myriad experiences that India offers, from spiritual journeys to adventurous explorations, thereby boosting tourism and cultural awareness.

Signature Video | Kerala Tourism | Experience God’s Own Country by Kerala Tourism

The “Signature Video | Kerala Tourism | Experience God’s Own Country” by Kerala Tourism is a captivating visual representation of the Indian state of Kerala, often referred to as “God’s Own Country.” In just under two minutes, this video beautifully encapsulates the essence of Kerala’s natural beauty, rich culture, and unique experiences. It showcases the lush green landscapes, tranquil backwaters, pristine beaches, and exotic wildlife that define Kerala. The video also highlights the state’s Ayurvedic traditions and delectable cuisine. With its stunning cinematography and soothing music, the campaign invites viewers to immerse themselves in the serenity and charm of Kerala, making it an irresistible travel destination.

Paradise Unexplored – North East India by Incredible India

“Paradise Unexplored – North East India by Incredible India” is a captivating tourism campaign that invites travelers to discover the hidden gems of India’s North East. With lush landscapes, rich cultural diversity, and breathtaking vistas, it offers an enchanting glimpse into the lesser-explored regions of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and more. The campaign celebrates the indigenous traditions, vibrant festivals, and pristine natural beauty of North East India. It encourages adventure seekers to explore dense forests, serene lakes, and the unique lifestyle of the local communities. This campaign serves as a window to the untouched paradise of North East India, enticing tourists to embark on an unforgettable journey of discovery.

Madhya Pradesh – The Heart of Incredible India by Madhya Pradesh Tourism

Madhya Pradesh – The Heart of Incredible India” is a captivating tourism campaign by Madhya Pradesh Tourism that portrays the state as the very essence of India’s cultural and geographical diversity. It offers a visual extravaganza of Madhya Pradesh’s majestic forts, dense forests, and serene rivers, providing a glimpse into its rich heritage and natural beauty. The campaign invites travelers to explore the state’s numerous wildlife sanctuaries, ancient temples, and historically significant sites, all while celebrating its central role in India’s cultural tapestry. With stunning visuals and a strong narrative, the campaign successfully entices tourists to immerse themselves in the heart of “Incredible India,” Madhya Pradesh.

Rajasthan: Jaane Kya Dikh Jaaye by PIB India

Rajasthan: Jaane Kya Dikh Jaaye” is a captivating campaign by PIB India that immerses viewers in the vibrant tapestry of Rajasthan, India’s largest state. This campaign brilliantly captures the essence of Rajasthan, known for its majestic forts, colorful festivals, and rich cultural heritage. The slogan “Jaane Kya Dikh Jaaye” invites travelers to discover the surprises that await them in Rajasthan, from the iconic palaces of Jaipur to the golden sands of the Thar Desert. The campaign’s imagery showcases the state’s exquisite architecture, bustling bazaars, and warm hospitality, enticing tourists to experience the grandeur and authenticity of this royal land.

Madhya Pradesh – The Heart of Incredible India by Incredible India

“Madhya Pradesh – The Heart of Incredible India” by Incredible India is a captivating tourism campaign that showcases the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh as the very essence of India’s cultural and geographical diversity. This campaign beautifully captures the state’s rich heritage, majestic forts, and lush wildlife sanctuaries. It highlights iconic destinations like Khajuraho, known for its exquisite temples, and the tranquil Narmada River, a symbol of spirituality. The campaign’s imagery and narrative invite travelers to explore this heartland, where history comes alive in its architecture, and nature flourishes in its forests. Madhya Pradesh truly embodies the soul of India, and this campaign presents it as a must-visit destination for those seeking an authentic Indian experience.

Apla Maharashtra Unlimited | Maharashtra Tourism by Maharashtra Tourism

Apla Maharashtra Unlimited” is a captivating tourism campaign by Maharashtra Tourism that invites travelers to explore the diverse and boundless attractions of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The campaign celebrates the rich tapestry of experiences that Maharashtra offers, from the bustling metropolis of Mumbai to the serene hills of the Western Ghats and the stunning coastline along the Arabian Sea. It showcases the state’s vibrant culture, historic landmarks, and varied landscapes. Whether it’s exploring ancient caves, enjoying the vibrant festivals, or savoring the local cuisine, Maharashtra promises unlimited experiences for tourists. The campaign beautifully captures the essence of Maharashtra’s heritage and its status as a tourist haven in India.

Jammu and Kashmir – Where time stands still. (Director’s Cut) by Jammu & Kashmir Tourism

Jammu and Kashmir – Where time stands still. (Director’s Cut)” by Jammu & Kashmir Tourism is a captivating tourism campaign that immerses viewers in the timeless beauty of this northern Indian region. The Director’s Cut edition offers an extended and more immersive experience. It portrays Jammu and Kashmir as a place of serene beauty, where the passage of time seems to slow down. The campaign showcases the region’s breathtaking landscapes, including snow-covered mountains, pristine lakes, and lush valleys. It invites travelers to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life and immerse themselves in the tranquility and natural splendor of Jammu and Kashmir, making it an ideal destination for nature enthusiasts and those seeking a peaceful retreat.

Khushboo Gujarat Ki – A journey towards the majestic land of Gujarat (Hindi)

Khushboo Gujarat Ki – A journey towards the majestic land of Gujarat” is a captivating campaign spearheaded by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, to promote the state of Gujarat. This campaign, with its title translating to “The Fragrance of Gujarat,” encapsulates the essence of the state’s diverse attractions. It showcases Gujarat’s rich historical heritage, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes, including the iconic Rann of Kutch and the bustling city of Ahmedabad. With a focus on tourism and cultural pride, the campaign invites travelers to embark on a mesmerizing journey through Gujarat, offering a glimpse into the state’s unique traditions, wildlife sanctuaries, and remarkable experiences.

KERALA Backwaters ● India 2020 by Travel Penguin

The “KERALA Backwaters ● India 2020” video by Travel Penguin offers a mesmerizing glimpse into the enchanting backwaters of Kerala, a state in southern India. This visual masterpiece captures the essence of Kerala’s backwater ecosystem, with its intricate network of serene waterways, lush greenery, and traditional houseboats gently gliding on the placid waters. The video showcases the unique and tranquil way of life in the backwaters, where communities thrive along the shores. Viewers are transported to a world of calm and natural beauty, making it an enticing invitation for travelers seeking a serene and picturesque escape in the heart of God’s Own Country, Kerala.

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Top Travel Campaigns of 2020: Tourism Marketers Get Creative in the Face of Adversity

There is no question in anyone’s mind – this was a tough year for tourism marketers. With travel largely shuttered in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter-at-home orders, budgets cut and so many American workers furloughed, travel was at an all-time low.

Click here to listen to Episode 199 where Destination on the Left is joined by Rick Antonson. Rick discusses a plan DMOs can use for rebuilding in the future.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom in the tourism industry. Destinations got creative and tourism marketing teams showed their dedication as they pivoted, reimagined, and relaunched campaigns . Strap in for a wild ride, as we round up some of the Top Travel Campaigns of 2020.

Click here to see the Top Travel Campaigns of 2018.

Click here to see the Top Travel Campaigns of 2019.

Visit Portugal: Can’t Skip Hope

We very rarely see a destination telling people to stop traveling, but that’s exactly the message that Visit Portugal choose to send – loud and clear. “It’s time to stop,” the video states, over and over again. It reminds people that beauty can be found in solitude, that we stand together when we stay apart, and that all of our biggest travel dreams will still be here when it’s safe to visit again. Showcasing stunning travel video (shot prior to the pandemic) and a soothing voiceover telling us it’s all going to be okay; Portugal hits a perfect balance of inspiring and insightful with its marketing.

The Faroe Islands: Remote Tourism

The Faroe Islands is small, but mighty. During some of the lowest points, when everyone was staying home, the Faroe Islands was inviting over 700,000 visitors to its island to participate in “Remote Tourism.” Taking virtual travel to a new level, Remote Tourism allowed future travelers to take control of a local guide – almost like a computer game – and point their real-life avatar in whatever direction their heart desired. Over 22 tours and daily guides shared every aspect of the little island community – from rugged mountaintops to nearby waterfalls – while the Visit Faroe Islands tourism team was on hand to answer questions and provide insight to the many places visitors were experiencing through their screens.

The last tour took place on June 17, but you can view a recap of the Faroe Islands Remote Tourism experience .

Recordings of the live tours are viewable on the Visit Faroe Islands’ Facebook Page .

And a bonus: without spending a singular dollar on advertising, this creative campaign generated over 500 news articles and national coverage in more than nine countries.

Travel Iowa: 2020 State Park Passport

This year marked a huge anniversary for Iowa State Parks, celebrating its centennial in 2020. Originally, the parks had huge celebrations and events planned to mark the occasion. But, with safety in mind, the state began to pivot in a more digital direction. Knowing that parks and outdoor recreation would play a large part in shelter-in-place and social distancing orders, Travel Iowa worked with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Bandwango to create the “ Iowa State Park Passport ” an online resource (not an app!) that encouraged Iowa residents to travel the state, enjoy the outdoors, track progress and even win prizes by visiting all 61 State Park locations.

Within just two months of launching the passport, the state tracked over 12,000 sign ups and 17,000 check-ins at Iowa State Parks. The campaign was furthered through organic and paid social media, media relations, and online efforts.

Experience Kissimmee, Florida: Vacation to Remember

It’s a whole different world down in Kissimmee, FL, one where warm weather and breezy beach-life reign supreme. And in the time of COVID-19, the destination chooses to use its platform to remind visitors that they can work and play from the Sunshine State, while still remaining safe and socially distant. In a tongue-in-cheek video from far into the future – the year 2092 – their onscreen character Blaire reminisces about the time that her mother booked a vacation home in Kissimmee to allow her family to “spread out” while boasting on Zoom calls about the glorious vacation home and poolside views.

The video does a nice job showcasing the solo side of travel, while also reminding us that this won’t last forever, and family memories are still to be had. It also gives a laugh, as Blaire quips that her mom “was on mute the whole time,” a situation all too familiar to those of us living in Zoom-land. Catch a clip of the video below.

Bonus! Experience Kissimmee also features “Stay Healthy, Stay Inspired” music playlists on Spotify, that take visitors inside the destination through song. The playlists feature sounds from the Walt Disney World Resort , Summertime Sing-a-longs, Chill at Home songs, “ Whelmed ” and a Christmastime compilation called “ Rockin’ Around the Kissimmee Tree .”

Bristol, UK: Bristol from Home

Click here to listen to Episode 68 with Gavin Landry where he shares how VisitBritain really stands out from the crowd.

A lot of destinations leaned into virtual and began to offer at-home activities that travelers could engage in from home. But Bristol, UK compiled a truly unique collection of online visits, tours, recipes and activities that will keep future visitors feeling like they’ve truly traveled to this bustling British city. Some of my favorite suggestions include the “Bristol on screen” listing of TV shows and films shot or set in Bristol, the #FoodFriday blog feature of Bristol-centric recipes that can be made right in your home kitchen, and the themed Instagram challenges featuring pics from followers and Bristol locals.

The destination also created its very own “ Visit Bristol Bingo ,” which will ensure that you don’t miss a single online opportunity that this city has to share.

While just a few favorites from the past year, these campaigns have us inspired, travel dreaming and trying new things. With 2021 on the horizon, here’s hoping that we’ll be visiting a few in the near future, as well.

Sarah Martin

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3 New Tourism Ad Campaigns Striking the Right Tone for These Times

Lebawit Lily Girma, Skift

April 20th, 2021 at 1:00 PM EDT

The rise of responsible travel messaging in marketing is a welcome next step, as destinations prepare for the return of large summer crowds locally, and international travelers keep a close eye on their favorite locales. Now's also the time to warn the ugly tourists.

A year ago, the global pandemic left destination marketing organizations scrambling to pause their promotional messaging. What started out as a wait-and-see approach evolved into advice to stay home and dream , while keeping favorite destinations top of mind for when safe travel eventually returns.

A year later, there’s a clear shift happening in marketing messaging as vaccines in the U.S., Europe and Asia continue rolling out and travelers are vacation planning and booking.

It’s the rise of the responsible travel marketing campaign, encouraging travelers to be more respectful in their behavior — to enjoy outdoor places but remain conscious of their choices once they begin to explore again, whether in their respective vaccinated backyards or when the time comes, on their international vacations.

From Portugal’s push to get consumers to think of the preservation of our planet long-term, to Florida’s Manatee County’s appeal to vacation responsibly by minding one’s trash on its island beaches, these three campaigns strike the right note at this evolving time in our industry’s recovery.

Portugal: Hello World — It’s Me, Tomorrow

Portugal’s high level message speaks to the world directly, marveling at its natural wonders, vibrant colors and ecosystems while evoking in “tomorrow’s traveller” — shown through the face of locals — the importance of doing better for the planet, to which humans are inherently connected. It’s a forward looking message at how we can do better once Portugal, and the world, reopens. “Let’s change today and we will keep visiting tomorrow,” the campaign says.

Scotland: Yours to Enjoy — Responsibly

“Let’s keep Scotland special now and for generations to come,” Visit Scotland ‘s new campaign says, urging travelers to respect Scottish communities and wildlife as they roam. The message to slow down and immerse echoes the “build back better” sentiment that the industry has been pushing since the pandemic forced a rethink on overtourism and climate change impacts.

FLorida’s Bradenton Gulf Islands: Love it Like a Local

As larger numbers of Americans begin to vacation in their backyards again, the majority continue to flock to outdoor mountain and beach destinations  — particularly in Florida.

In anticipation of an even bigger surge this summer and in time for Earth Day 2022, the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau launched a new “Love It Like a Local” campaign to guide visitors in enjoying their destination — including the increasingly popular and small Ana Maria Island — but also caring for it. The campaign comes on the heels of increasing resident complaints about visitor noise and trash on beaches.

“The video is from a child’s perspective so that way it resonates with children — we want this to be good for people of all ages,” Kelly Clark, marketing and communications director at Bradenton CVB, said. “We’re also hoping that hey, if this 11-year-old girl can tell you to respect the rules, then the adults will too.”  

As the U.S. braces for a busy summer of travel and the industry remains on a path to slow recovery at a global level, all while rethinking what it means to build back better, these responsible travel marketing campaigns gracefully tackle the other side of the safety coin: protecting communities and the environment from the inevitable impact of returning tourists.

The Daily Newsletter

Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.

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Tags: destination marketing , responsible travel , tourism campaigns

Photo credit: Florida Bradenton County's Anna Maria Island is one of several destinations that recently launched a responsible travel campaign. Carol VanHook / Flickr Commons

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Best Travel and Tourism Ads of the Month : Jan 13, 2023

Virgin atlantic - i am what i am lucky generals.

The most viewed spot in travel & tourism comes from Virgin Atlantic. Sitting at 22.6K views, this spot empowers consumers to be themselves no matter their quirks.

Lucky Generals London, United Kingdom

• Brand: Virgin Atlantic
• Country: United Kingdom
• Advertiser: Virgin Atlantic

Visit California - Am I Dreaming The Shipyard

Showing off the beauty of the state, Visit California’s spot with creative from The Shipyard embodies California’s chill yet exciting vibe using famous actors, fun activities, and scenic views.

The Shipyard Sacramento, United States

• Brand: Visit California
• Country: United States
• Advertiser: Visit California

Easyjet - nextGen easyJet VCCP

Easyjet’s spot, with 18K views, shares the fantastical story of what it feels like to fly on an Easyjet plane. From jumping into beautiful lakes to swimming at dazzling beaches, Easyjet shows all the places it can bring you.

VCCP Global

• Brand: Easyjet
• Advertiser: Easyjet

Schweiz Tourismus - No One upstages the Grand Tour of Switzerland Wirz

Showing off the beautiful landscape of Switzerland with a comedic twist, Schweiz Tourismus’ spot featuring Anne Hathaway and Rodger Federer received 11K views and a Silver Epica Award in 2022.

Wirz Zürich, Switzerland

• Brand: Schweiz Tourismus
• Country: Switzerland
• Advertiser: Switzerland Tourism

Irish Rail - Break up with your Car Publicis Dublin

Irish Rail brought one of the funniest travel & tourism spots of 2022 to screens, bringing 80s breakup jams back to life. With 5K views, this spot puts a smile on everyone’s face.

Publicis Dublin Dublin, Ireland

• Brand: Irish Rail
• Country: Ireland
• Advertiser: Irish Rail

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How To Advertise on Facebook in 2024 [8-Step Guide]

Whether you’re a pro Facebook marketer or a relative newcomer, knowing how to advertise on Facebook is a skill that’ll always come in handy.

Table of Contents

Facebook remains a social media giant, with almost three billion monthly active users (MAU) as of January 2023 . Over the years, Facebook advertising has evolved to better serve its billions of users. Along the way, marketers have also had to keep growing to ensure they still know how to advertise on Facebook to get the desired results.

This blog will walk you through the latest tips, tricks, and techniques for advertising on Facebook in 2024.

Whether you’re a veteran marketer or starting out as fresh as a daisy, this FB advertising guide will tell you:

• How to set up Facebook ads,
• How to make a Facebook ad,
• How to run Facebook ads, and
• All the other Facebook ads 101 knowledge you need.

Bonus: Get the Facebook advertising cheat sheet for 2022. The free resource includes key audience insights, recommended ad types, and tips for success.

What are Facebook ads?

Facebook ads are posts that businesses pay for to show Facebook users products or services.

They come in various formats, such as images, videos, or carousels. Like Instagram, Facebook ads appear throughout the app, including in users’ feeds, Stories , Messenger , Marketplace , and more.

Facebook ads are typically targeted to users based on their:

• Demographics,
• Profile information and online activity.

Businesses set an ad budget and bid for each click or thousand impressions the ad receives.

Facebook ads often look similar to normal posts but always include a “sponsored” label to show they’re ads. They also tend to include more features than regular posts, like CTA buttons, links, and product catalogs.

If you want to get your brand in front of more users, ads should be a component of any Facebook marketing strategy. Find more helpful Facebook marketing tips here .

How much does it cost to advertise on Facebook?

There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to Facebook ad budgets .

The cost of Facebook ads depends on several variables, including:

• Audience targeting . It usually costs more to put your ads in front of a narrower audience than a broader one.
• Ad placement . Costs can change between ads shown on Facebook and Instagram.
• Campaign duration . The number of days and hours a campaign lasts impacts the final cost.
• Competitiveness of your industry . Some industries are more competitive than others for ad space. Ad costs usually increase the higher the product price is or how valuable the lead you’re trying to capture is.
• Time of year . Ad costs can fluctuate during different seasons, holidays, or other industry-specific events.
• Time of day . On average, CPC is lowest between midnight and 6 am in any timezone.
• Location . Average ad costs per country vary widely.

Types of Facebook ads

Knowing how to advertise on Facebook starts with knowing the types of Facebook ads available to you.

You can choose between different Facebook ad types and formats to suit your campaign goals, including:

• Collection, and

The wide range of Facebook ad formats means you can choose the best ad type that matches your business goal.

Each ad has a different set of CTAs to guide users to the next steps. When you’re creating these, make sure you get your Facebook ad sizes and specs right !

Here are each of Facebook’s ad formats explained in more detail:

Image ads are Facebook’s most basic ad format. They let businesses promote their products, services, or brands using single images. Image ads can be used across different ad types, placements, and aspect ratios.

Image ads are a good fit for campaigns with strong, static visual content. These images could be made from illustrations, design, or photography.

You can create one with just a few clicks by boosting an existing post with an image from your Facebook Page.

Image ads are simple to make and can successfully display your offering if you use high-quality imagery. They’re suitable for any stage of the sales funnel — whether you want to boost brand awareness or promote a new product launch to increase sales.

Image ads can be limiting as you only have a single image to convey your message. If you need to display multiple products or show how your product works, there are better choices than the single-image ad format.

Source: Hootsuite on Facebook

Pro tip: Pay attention to image ad specs and ratios so your product doesn’t get cut off or stretched.

Just like image ads, video ads on Facebook let businesses use a single video to showcase their products, services, or brand.

They’re especially helpful for product demos, tutorials, and showcasing moving elements.

Video can be up to 240 minutes long, but that doesn’t mean you should use that time! Shorter videos are usually more engaging. Facebook recommends sticking to videos under 15 seconds.

Video ads can add some movement to any user’s feed.

Source: Facebook

The downside of video ads is that they’re time-consuming and can become expensive. A carousel or image ad may be a better fit for simple messages or products that don’t require demos.

Stories ads

Mobile phones are meant to be held vertically. Stories ads take advantage of this with a mobile-only full-screen vertical video format that allows you to maximize screen real estate without expecting viewers to turn their screens.

And, in the US, 62% of people say they’re going to keep using Stories more and more. It makes sense that there are four million advertisers taking advantage of Stories ads every month.

Stories provide more creative freedom than regular image or video ads. Businesses can play around with emojis, stickers, filters, video effects, and even augmented reality.

Messenger ads

Messenger ads show up in Facebook Messenger. Since it’s where people spend time chatting with friends and family, Messenger ads feel more personal than scrolling through Image or video ads.

People see your Messenger ads among their conversations and can tap to start a conversation with your brand. These ads are a great way of getting people to interact with your brand.

For smaller businesses promoting local products or services, Messenger ads can help start the conversation.

Carousel ads

Carousel ads showcase up to ten images or videos that users can click through. Each has its own headline, description, or link.

Carousels are a great choice for displaying a series of different products. Each image in the carousel can even have its own landing page that’s specifically built for that product or service.

This Facebook ad format is also helpful for guiding users through a process or showcasing a series of related products by separating each part across different sections of your carousel.

Source: Kits on Facebook

Slideshow ads

Slideshow ads are composed of 3-10 images or a single video that plays in a slideshow.

These ads are a great alternative to video ads because they use up to five times less data than videos. That makes slideshow ads a top choice for markets where people have slower internet connections.

Slideshow ads are also a great way for people without video-making experience to get started.

Collection ads

Collection ads are kind of like immersive carousels — taking the user experience a step up. These ads are like mobile window-shopping experiences where users can flick through your product lineup.

More customizable than Carousels, they’re also full-screen. Users can purchase products directly from the Collection ad.

Businesses can also choose to let Facebook algorithms select which products from your catalog are included for each user.

Collection ads are a great choice for large businesses that sell a variety of products and services. Smaller businesses with a more limited product line may be better suited to other ad types like Carousels.

Playables allow people to get a taste of your game before they download it. It’s a free, playable preview of your app. This try-before-you-buy experience lets your audience test-drive your game right in Facebook’s ad format.

Giving people a game demo will increase the number of quality leads downloading your game.

Bonus: Instant Experience

Instant Experience ads , previously known as Canvas Ads, are mobile-only interactive ads that let users engage with your promoted content on Facebook.

You can add an Instant Experience to most of your ad formats. Instance Experiences allow users to tap through a carousel display of images, shift the screen in different directions, as well as zoom in or out of content.

Facebook suggests using five to seven images and videos in each Instant Experience ad for the best chances of engagement . Premade templates also help you save time and repeat your key theme throughout the ad.

How to set up Facebook ads using Meta Ads Manager [8 steps]

If you already have a Facebook business page (and you should), you can head straight to Meta Ads Manager (formerly Facebook Ads Manager) or Business Manager to create your Facebook ad campaign. If you don’t yet have a business page, you’ll need to create one first.

We’ll follow the steps for Ads Manager in this post. It will outline how to create a Facebook ad and cover some general Facebook ads how-to questions. 

If you’d prefer to use Business Manager, you can get the details in our post on how to use Meta (Facebook) Business Manager. This post also covers some FAQs on how to advertise a business on Facebook. 

Ads Manager is the starting place for running ads on Facebook and Messenger. It’s an all-in-one tool suite for creating ads, managing where and when they’ll run, and tracking campaign performance.

Step 1: Start creating an ad

After logging into Ads Manager, you’ll see your dashboard. To create a new campaign, ad set, or ad, click the Create button.

Step 2: Choose your campaign objective

Facebook will ask you to select your campaign objective from six options.

Here’s how the campaign objectives align with business goals:

• Awareness . Introduce your brand to a new audience.
• Traffic . Drive traffic to a specific web page, app, or Facebook Page.
• Engagement . Find people most likely to take a specific action, like engage with your business or send a message.
• Leads . Get new prospects into your sales funnel via messages, phone calls or signups.
• App promotion . Get mobile users to install your app or take a specific action within your app.
• Sales . Find people who are most interested in purchasing your product or service.

Choose a campaign objective based on your goals for this particular ad. 

Step 3: Define your campaign settings 

Here, you’ll name your campaign, note if there are any Special Ad Categories it falls into, and fill out the rest of the Campaign details. 

If you want to set up an A/B split test, toggle on the Create A/B test button. You can choose different versions to run against this ad after it’s published.

Step 4: Set your budget

Next, click into the Ad set options. This is where you’ll decide which specific performance goal you want to reach and how much money you want to spend to get there. You can choose between a daily budget and a lifetime budget. 

Daily budget runs your ad continuously throughout the day, with a minimum of $1.00 per day. A lifetime budget runs your ad for a specified time period. 

Set the start and end dates if you want to schedule your ad in the future or choose to make it live right away.

You can also choose to schedule your budget in advance, in case you want to increase your spend at certain high-traffic times.

Step 5: Target your audience 

When you want to dial in your ad targeting, you have a couple of options: 

• Sketch out the basic details (like age, location, and language) and let Meta’s Advantage+ technology automatically find your audience, or
• Switch to Facebook’s original audience targeting options and build out your audience yourself

If you’re just getting started, we’d recommend letting Facebook’s AI do the targeting for you. According to their data , the Advantage+ audience generally offers better results for lower costs: roughly “28% lower average cost per click, lead or landing page view.”

Remember: Effective targeting is key to maximizing ROI—and there’s no shortage of ways to target your audience using Ads Manager.

Step 6: Choose your Facebook ad placements 

Next, choose where your ad appears. You can let Facebook choose automatically with Advantage+ placements or pick manually. If you’re new, start with Advantage+. 

After a while, you can review your ad performance and switch to manual for better optimization. Your manual options will vary based on your chosen campaign objective but may include the following:

• Device type . Mobile, desktop, or both.
• Platform . Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network, and/or Messenger
• Placements . Feeds, Stories, Reels, in-stream (for videos), search, messages, overlay and post-loop ads on Reels, search, in-article, and apps and sites (external to Facebook).
• Specific mobile devices and operating systems . iOS, Android, feature phones, or all devices.
• Only when connected to WiFi . The ad only shows when the user’s device is connected to WiFi.

Step 7: Create your ad

You’re almost done! Next, click into the Ad options. 

Choose the ad format that aligns with your campaign objectives. Then enter the text and media components for your ad. The formats available will vary based on the campaign objective you selected back at the beginning of this process. 

Follow the prompts and design recommendations provided by Facebook based on your chosen ad type.

Use the preview tool at the right of the page to make sure your ad looks good for all potential placements. When you’re happy with your choices, click the green Publish button to launch your ad.

Step 8: Monitor your ad’s performance metrics

Once your ad’s running, keep an eye on its performance in Ads Manager. Look for key metrics like results, reach, engagement, video views, website actions, and more.

Or, you can use Hootsuite’s social advertising dashboard to better understand how all of your content is performing.

You can compare performance, juggle your budget, and really dig deep into the relative ROI of each campaign.

Plus, if you’re already using digital marketing tools like Mailchimp, Hubspot, or Salesforce, you can integrate those, too, so you have all your sales data in one place.

How to set up Facebook ads using Hootsuite [5 steps]

Of course, if you’d rather manage paid and organic campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn, an all-in-one solution like Hootsuite is your best bet.

Here’s how to use Hootsuite Social Advertising to create and manage your Facebook ads.

Step 1: Set up your Facebook campaign

In the left-hand navigation of your Hootsuite dashboard, select Advertise and then Facebook Boost.

Select Set up an automated boost , choose your Facebook Page and ad account, then enter a name for your campaign.

Step 2: Choose your campaign objective and settings

Choose an ad campaign objective from the following:

• Traffic . Drive traffic to a website or landing page.
• Engagement . Get people to interact with your ad. Your conversion can either happen on your ad or website.
• Awareness . Get more people to remember your brand.
• Leads . Track leads conversions for your website.
• Sales . Track sales conversions for your website.

Just like in Meta Ads Manager, next you’ll note if there are any Special Ad Categories your campaign falls into, and fill out the rest of the Campaign details. 

Step 3: Choose your target audience and set your budget

Hootsuite allows you to either build your own ad audience or import saved or custom audiences from Facebook.

If you choose to build your own audience, you can refine by demographics, interests, or behaviors.

If you’ve already built custom or lookalike audiences in Facebook, no problem — you can target those audiences using Hootsuite too.

Meta will automatically choose ad placements for you based on your chosen objectives, but you can override this default if you’d rather choose your own placements.

Next, set your budget and the length of your campaign. You can set a daily or total budget for your ad campaign. Meta allocates your ad spend until the campaign ends or the budget runs out.

Step 4: Create your Facebook ad

The creative elements you need for your ad will depend on your campaign objective — Traffic campaigns, for example, will require a website URL.

Keep the following restrictions in mind when adding an image or video to your ad:

• Facebook images must be larger than 262px by 262px.
• Instagram images must have an aspect ratio between 0.565 and 7.8, and be at least 500 px by 500 px.
• Instagram videos must have an aspect ratio between 4:5 and 16:9, and must be larger than 500px by 262px; length must be 120 seconds or shorter.

As you build your ad, Hootsuite displays a preview of what your ad will look like on mobile, desktop, and Instagram.

Step 5: Publish your Facebook ad campaign

Once you’ve built your ads and checked the ad preview for all platforms to make sure you’re happy with how they look, you’re ready to publish your ad campaign.

Select  Summary  to review your campaign details. You can return to previous screens to make any changes you need to. If you’re happy with your campaign, select  Publish campaign . You’re done!

Hootsuite sends the campaign to Facebook for approval. Facebook typically approves the campaign within 24 hours.

To recap, here’s what you can do using Hootsuite Social Advertising:

• Create ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn
• Manage the spend and targeting of your ad campaigns
• Create advanced and lookalike audiences
• View paid and organic posts side by side in the Planner
• Review the performance of paid and organic posts in Hootsuite Analytics

Note: Hootsuite Social Advertising is available to Enterprise plan users. Upgrade your plan now .

5 Facebook ad tips

1. make your ads mobile .

Most people check social media on their phones, so focusing on mobile-friendly ads is a surefire way to better reach your audience. 

Be sure to:

• Film videos vertically (9×16).
• Keep text minimal and use large fonts.
• Add animations for engagement.
• Keep videos short (15 seconds or less).

2. Make ads for a short attention span 

Keep it quick and snappy. Start your ad with the main message and branding in the first 3 seconds.

3. Make sound optional

Lots of folks watch video with the sound off, whether it’s because they’re auditorily impaired or watching your ad on the bus. 

Be sure to: 

• Use visuals to convey your message.
• Add captions for voiceovers.
• Include text for key messages.

4. Try the pitch, play plunge method

Facebook’s pitch, play, plunge method could work for you. Combine different creative types:

• Pitch: Make people aware of your brand, product, or service. 
• Play: Create entertaining interactive content for the curious.
• Plunge: Try some immersive experiences for deeper engagement.

5. Base ad decisions on analytics 

Use Facebook’s built-in tools to track impressions, clicks, engagement, and ROI. Or, for more detailed insights and data-driven improvements in future campaigns, use third-party tools (like Hootsuite) to understand where you should adjust your campaign and where you should double down. 

Facebook ad examples

Ready to get inspired? Here are three Facebook ad examples you can learn from. If you want more, try this roundup of the best Facebook ad examples.  

Reddit for Business 

Reddit’s image ad is a prime example of using text to your advantage. 

The ad clearly and succinctly lists a benefit, “your best ROAS,” and an enticing offer, a $500 ad credit. The caption and CTA are simple, “Ready to send ROAS soaring? Get Offer.” 

Source: Reddit for Business on Facebook 

Plus, Reddit’s tagged ‘r/LifeProTips’ at the top of the image as a nod to its platform.

Expert Market 

Expert Market’s POS ad lists two product benefits, “affordable” and “easy-to-use” and exactly who their target audience is in the caption. 

Source: Expert Market on Facebook

The video is simple, with similar text overlaid on the screen. This ad could have easily been an image, but the dynamic aspect of the handwriting helps to capture attention. 

Hootsuite 

Hoostuite’s Facebook Story ad is a two-parter. 

The first Story pulls in marketers with a product benefit, “Respond on social 2x as fast,” then follows up with the specific features that make the benefit happen. 

Using two stories back-to-back helps grab users who are quickly tapping through the slides. This one-two advertising punch helps capture attention. 

Get the most out of your Facebook advertising budget with Hootsuite. Easily create, manage, and optimize all your Facebook ad campaigns in one place. Try it free today.

With files from Holly Stanley .

Easily plan, manage and analyze organic and paid campaigns from one place with Hootsuite Social Advertising. See it in action.

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Colleen Christison is a freelance copywriter, copy editor, and brand communications specialist. She spent the first six years of her career in award-winning agencies like Major Tom, writing for social media and websites and developing branding campaigns. Following her agency career, Colleen built her own writing practice, working with brands like Mission Hill Winery, The Prevail Project, and AntiSocial Media.

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25+ Frightfully Fabulous Halloween Marketing Campaigns

Laura Kloot

This post was updated on October 31, 2022.

When it comes to Halloween celebrations, the pandemic is truly over. According to the National Retail Federation, Halloween spending in 2022 is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels, which is great news. In fact, it’s even forecast to reach a record $10.6 billion in the US.

How are brands responding to the terrific shopping season? We’ve updated our best Halloween marketing campaigns list once again with some new additions in 2022 – from waste-free trick-or-treating, to Martha Stewart in scary mode, to a never ending candy bowl, and making Halloween more meaningful, there’s a little something for everyone. Check it out!

1. Mars Wrigley – “Halloween it like you mean it”

Halloween means different things to different people, though we can all agree that chocolate is a must. Confectionery makers Mars Wrigley are encouraging people to participate in the holiday with a dedicated website imploring viewers to “Halloween it like you mean it”. And the brand is helping out with an engaging, interactive online experience, including a Handy Candy calculator to figure out exactly how much candy you need to buy, Halloween recipes, shopping links, decoration ideas, and a promo code offer. What more do you need this Halloween?

2. Liquid Death – Martha Stewart Dismembered Moments Candle

When you think of Halloween, Martha Stewart is probably not the first person who comes to mind. But that doesn’t matter to Liquid Death. The canned water brand teamed up with Stewart  for Halloween to create the aptly-named Dismembered Moments Luxury Candle. The campaign features a surprisingly chilling commercial starring a calm and sweet-talking Stewart promoting the candle, with suitably horror-filled screams, fake blood, and heavy metal music in the background. The shock factor is high with this one – and somehow, it works!

3. UNICEF – “Add some meaning to your Halloweening”

Since 1950, UNICEF has provided its famous orange boxes to kids on Halloween to collect donations when they go trick-or-treating. For this year’s Halloween, UNICEF is going fully digital . The orange boxes are now a QR code, which can be scanned anywhere, anytime. Throughout October, people can donate, interact on social media, learn more about UNICEF and what it does, take part in virtual or physical events, and more. The campaign appeals not just to school-age kids but also to Gen Z and Millenials, who are big into social giving and humanitarian causes. The digital-first campaign is called “Add some meaning to your Halloweening”, and we think it does just that. 

4. Papa John’s – Garlic Sauce talisman necklace

Who doesn’t need a good old-fashioned talisman to ward off evil spirits on Halloween? Pizza chain Papa John’s has created a sterling silver “Stranger Bling” talisman necklace inspired by the restaurant’s iconic Special Garlic Dipping Sauce. Available internationally at Black Feather Design, and promoted with a short teaser film, the talisman necklace is a shout-out to 80s horror cult classic films, and the brand’s own Jack! Halloween film series. Besides the usual candy and decorations, it’s great to see a brand venturing out-of-the-box with original Halloween merch. And don’t forget to pop a fresh garlic clove in the talisman to keep those nasty ghosts away.  

5. Mars & Rubicon – Less Halloween waste 

Halloween is fun and all, but the amount of waste it creates is truly frightening. Six hundred million tons of Halloween candy wrappers and used packaging ends up in landfills every year, according to research by Rubicon Technologies, the recycling services company. So Mars and Rubicon have teamed up to tackle the problem. This year, Mars is taking part in Rubicon’s Trick or Trash™ campaign, offering recyclable trick-or-treating bags with a pre-paid postage stamp. After the big day, consumers can fill their specially-designed bag with candy wrappers, and send it all back for recycling in a few simple steps. With over 75% of people planning to celebrate Halloween this year, this campaign will have a meaningful impact!

6. Kit Kat – The candy bowl that never runs out

A bowl that never runs out of candy? Where can we sign up?

Kit Kat is celebrating Halloween with a marketing campaign that kids everywhere are going to love. According to AdWeek , the company has not disclosed exactly how the never ending candy bowl works, but when the candy runs out, more candy magically appears. Kit Kat has invited people to submit a request on Instagram for the bowl to visit their hometown, and there’s one lucky winner to be picked at random. If Halloween marketing sometimes feels a bit gimmicky, then this is an example of how to do it right. Exciting, engaging, and with a sense of urgency – it’s definitely a winning Halloween campaign.

7. Hot Topic – “Halloween Forever”

This Halloween campaign is a fun celebrity collaboration , unabashedly appealing to the Gen Z audience. It combines two stars from hit shows Cobra Kai and Shameless , and fashion brand Hot Topic’s new Halloween clothing collection, inspired by classic horror films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre . For marketing to work, it needs an emotional touch – something that gets you in the feels. This campaign offers it too: Cobra Kai actress Mary Mouser, who stars in the Halloween commercial, used to work at Hot Topic before her rise to acting stardom! Nice touch. 

8. Kmart – ‘Merry Spookmas’

Ok, so this Halloween campaign is from last year, but it deserves a belated mention. Kmart in Australia made the genius move of blending two of the big holidays in the end-of-year retail season: welcome to “Spookmas”! The campaign did a great job of blending the digital and physical retail worlds too, using Snapchat ads and Lenses. Via a Snapcode, the users could unlock the AR experience while in the Kmart store. Kmart achieved its goal of engaging a Gen Z target audience and getting them excited around both Halloween and Christmas: $25 ROAS and an average 54-second playtime for the Halloween campaign Lens. That’s a very merry Spookmas indeed!

The section below was updated on October 17, 2021.

After a scary couple of years battling the global pandemic, Halloween 2021 is expected to make a rebound, with consumer sentiment and purchases up. That’s great news for businesses that offer products and services around the celebrations, with the most popular segments being costumes, candy, decorations, and pumpkins, of course. 

With US consumers predicted to spend just over $100 each on Halloween related products this year, getting inspired with creative Halloween marketing ideas is definitely something marketers should be doing.

That’s why we’ve reinstated our annual roundup of best Halloween campaigns, and this year doesn’t disappoint. Check out how some of the biggest brand names are marketing during the spooky season, and use these as a springboard to get creative with your own Halloween campaigns.

9. Heinz – The “creepiest condiment”

As every self-respecting child knows, the best pretend blood for a Halloween costume is ketchup. Heinz is taking it to the next level with limited edition “Tomato Blood” . It’s the same ketchup we all know and love, rebranded with a new spooky-looking label that definitely ramps up the creepy atmosphere. The campaign is designed to create a “full Halloween experience”, and also includes a pop-up store in LA where visitors can make costumes using the fake blood, as well as a Halloween Heinz Blood costume kit available for purchase online. All in all, a great way to leverage a beloved product for a special holiday. And no campaign is complete in 2021 without the social media angle – consumers are encouraged to share photos of their ketchup-(blood)-soaked Halloween costumes.

10. Butterfinger – Turn yourself in

Parents munching on their kids’ Halloween candy – it’s the ultimate crime, made famous by Jimmy Kimmel’s popular annual YouTube challenge, “I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy.” Butterfinger is focusing on a similar theme with a funny, catchy campaign aimed at parents. It encourages them to “Turn yourself in” if they are guilty of stealing their child’s Butterfinger from the trick or treat basket. They’ve dubbed it the “Butterfinger Case Files”, and parents who ‘fess up and submit their mug shot to the dedicated website are in the running to win a $25,000 prize . A smart example of how specifically targeting parents can be a winning tactic on Halloween.

11. Snickers – Bite size Halloween

No matter what you’re marketing, great storytelling is always the key. And when it comes to Halloween, spooky stories are a fantastic way to capture consumer imagination and attention. Snickers has done it this year with a smart Halloween short with a scary twist. It’s more funny than scary, but it definitely keeps you wondering what will happen next. Of course, candy is one of the most popular product segments for Halloween, with a forecast of $3B consumer spending around the holiday in the US in 2021 , so naturally candy brands are competing for eye-catching and original marketing ideas. We think this short film fits the bill. 

12. General Mills – “Monster Mash”

Nostalgia in marketing is powerful. That’s what General Mills is tapping into with their new Halloween campaign, a 50th anniversary reunion of the five cartoon monster characters from their Monster Cereals line , first launched in 1971. To celebrate the reunion, the monsters got together for a take on the popular 1962 single, “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett & The Crypt Kickers. The full-fledged campaign includes a spoofy “Behind the scenes” style short video, “The Remaking of the Mash: A Monster Miracle”, and special product releases, including cereal flavors with retro packaging, vinyl character toys and watches. Everything old is new again, and that’s especially true for Monsters Cereals this Halloween.

13. Temptations – “Tasty Human”

With so much pressure on brands to always be original and exciting, Halloween marketing is getting stranger by the year. Temptations, the cat food brand, isn’t holding back, releasing a limited edition cat food for Halloween in “Tasty Human” flavor. It’s true, cats can give off a somewhat freaky vibe, and research postulating that if cats were bigger, they’d eat humans definitely does not help their reputation. But Temptations is bravely running with it,  and this wacky Halloween-centric product and campaign is sure to gain some buzz among cat owners.

14. Nike – Halloween sneakers

Did we mention that Halloween marketing is getting weirder? Candy and costumes are pretty obvious, but a Halloween-themed special edition Nike sneaker is something else. Even so, it’s become a tradition, and this year, Nike is once again tapping into the whimsical, child-like side that seems to infect people of all ages around Halloween with new release shoes especially for the season. For example, the Nike Dunk Low style is black, cream and orange (very Halloween-y colors) with a glow in the dark overlay, illuminated outsole, and creepy spider pattern on the insole. For Nike lovers, the product is the campaign, generating so much anticipation, buzz, and endless unboxing reviews online. It’s a good example of a product so completely entwined with the brand that almost any new release will be sure to generate interest. Halloween? It’s just an excuse.

15. Lego/Star Wars/ Disney+ – Terrifying Tales

Brand collaborations are always a good thing, especially when you’ve got three uber brands working together. That’s what’s happened this Halloween season, when Lego Star Wars kicked off the Disney+ “Halloweenstream” with its Halloween special, Terrifying Tales. Together with the trailer of the new spooky film, Lego Star Wars dropped a series of five shorts, each featuring a funny, Halloween themed plot and some favorite Star Wars characters. Of course, we’re talking here about three of the world’s most famous brands, but any brand can ramp up its power around Halloween and other holidays via clever collaborations with like-minded brands.

16. Crest – #BringOnTheCandy Safes

Candy, kids, cavities! It’s not hard to make that leap when you consider how much candy gets eaten during Halloween season. And that gives toothpaste brand Crest every reason to get in on the action. This year, they’ve run with the theme of protecting your candy and protecting your teeth. As mentioned above, parents are notorious for taking their kids’ candy stash on Halloween. So, customers were invited to enter a competition to win a limited edition Candy Safe , where candy can be safely locked away from prying eyes and hands! To enter, participants had to post on Instagram why their family loves Crest toothpaste and why they want a Candy Safe, with all the right hashtags of course. Marketing lesson? Figure out how your brand can fit into the celebrations, and go for it!

17. Reese’s – A Better Place

As one of the most popular trick-or-treats, Reese’s is a big player in Halloween marketing. The brand’s Halloween commercial gets ironic and spooky this year, wondering what happened to all the Reese’s chocolates that ‘disappear’ around Halloween (“they’ve gone to a better place…). But it’s not just the creative ads. Reese’s has secured its place in the Halloween consumer culture in other ways, by partnering with neighborhood social network Nextdoor, for example, to offer the Treat Map app for local trick or treating. And now the brand is pushing its wildly popular Reese’s Pumpkins chocolate as the “Official Pumpkins of Halloween” , even competing with sellers of actual pumpkins for the title! It’s all done in good humor and with goodwill of course, which is the best way to strengthen a brand.

The section below was published on October 15, 2019.

If it seems like the spooky season starts earlier with every passing year, you’re not wrong. In fact, in 2019, an astute blogger found an M&Ms Halloween product on a Target store shelf in mid-July !

Although Halloween falls on the very last day of October, the Halloween commercial season launches well before the fall leaves change color. Brands try to get in early to lengthen the Halloween shopping season, boost sales volume and put the upcoming holiday at top of mind among consumers. What’s more, brands and businesses go all out to create the most hair-raising (and fun!) Halloween campaigns to keep customers on their toes and opening their wallets.

Let’s take a look at some of the best Halloween campaigns in 2019:

18. Skittles Zombies – Go horribly viral

Candies and chocolate are one of the biggest sellers during Halloween, after costumes and decorations. In fact, 9 out of 10 Halloween shoppers in 2018 planned to buy candy .

In 2019, the Mars company did a 180-degree-turn away from delicious fruity candy, with its release of Zombie Skittles . The product comes with 5 tasty Halloween themed flavors, such as Boogeyman Blackberry and Mummified Melon. However, it also includes a ‘rotten’ Zombie flavor, and the consumer will only know they are eating it once they experience the terrifyingly awful taste.

The beauty of this kind of marketing tactic is its potential to go viral with the help of influencer marketing . Playing on the psychology of the dare and the human fascination with anything weird, the Zombie Skittles concept drew loads of attention online. There were numerous video reviews, video challenges and taste tests by bloggers and foodies to show viewers just how horrible (and irresistible!) the rotten candies really are. As the Skittles press release stated , “It’s an utterly disgusting taste experience that will elicit strong reactions from anyone and everyone daring enough to try it.” The key to any great content marketing campaign? Emotion, of which Zombie Skittles have plenty!

19. Universal Studios – A watch party to remember

Universal Studios promoted its annual Halloween Horror Nights event with a TV spot that turns the innocent “watch party” concept into a terrifying prospect . The Halloween Horror Nights event, held at Universal Studios locations in Florida, California, Japan and Singapore, is a popular Halloween tradition, combining mazes, attraction, parties and more, all with a horror theme. This year, the focus was on the 80s, and the promo campaign centered around a group of friends getting together at home for a relaxing watch party. But the night turns terrible as the group is preyed on by their deepest fears. It’s a fun, nail-biting short video that definitely gets you in the mood for a horror night. Plus it’s a good example of the power of video advertising to communicate a message and a mood to your target audience.

20. UNICEF Halloween Heroes – Nostalgia for a new generation

Another emotion that works well in marketing is nostalgia. Think of recent Disney movie remakes , like Aladdin and The Lion King. The grownups who watched the original films in the 90s enjoy a nostalgic trip back to their childhood, while the next generation (their kids) fall in love with the new version at the same time. UNICEF Canada is banking on nostalgia with a reboot of its traditional Halloween Heroes campaign, where kids would go trick or treating with orange UNICEF money boxes, collecting donations house to house while they collect candy.

This year, UNICEF has launched its Halloween Heroes campaign in a fully digital online format , based on four “hero” characters representing kids’ right to childhood in areas like water, food, education and security. It just goes to show that in content marketing, you don’t always have to be new and original – sometimes, you can rejuvenate an old theme and make it powerful for a new generation.

21. Lunar Beauty Cosmetics – Witch theme works best?

Here’s an example of another nostalgia-driven campaign that’s playing on a theme – and using a drip approach on social media to tease customers with a slow buildup. Famous makeup artist, YouTuber and beauty blogger Manny MUA launched a special Halloween cosmetic collection under his brand Lunar Beauty. The Moon Spell Collection is based on pop cultures’ favorite witches from the 90s , drawing particular inspiration from the cult classic series Charmed.

The campaign created suspense over a few days before the launch of the spooky collection on October 4, with the release of a long-form half-hour YouTube video, and Instagram posts and teasers to get customers in the Halloween mood. The popular campaign combined good old nostalgia, a clear and catchy theme, and a slow drip approach to build momentum. As can be seen in some of the Instagram comments before the products were available for sale: “Can you drop the collection already so i can buy it!” When customers are begging you to release your products, you know your Halloween marketing campaign is a success.

The section below was published on October 18, 2018.  

Did you know Halloween is a huge boon for business, and not just in the US?

In 2017, Halloween spending in the US was projected at just over $9 billion . In the UK, that number was expected to reach £270 million .

While there’s a strong focus on candy, costumes, and decorations, Halloween is a huge retail event reaching even more categories, like cars, video games, and even makeup.

Check out these fantastic and frightening Halloween content marketing campaigns in 2018 that kept audiences worldwide in delicious suspense:

22. Burger King trolls McDonald’s – with clowns

What better way to kick off our top Halloween content marketing campaigns than with Burger King’s ingenious idea. It combined customer interaction with the clever trolling of rival McDonald’s and its famous clown mascot.

Burger King offered a free Whopper burger to the first 500 people to visit select Burger King stores dressed as a clown. The campaign was promoted via a creepy clown-filled YouTube video with the hashtag #ScaryClownNight.

A campaign that combines clowns and trolls? We want our Whopper!

23. Long-form horror ad by Skittles

In a Halloween campaign titled “Bite Size Horror,” confectionery giant Mars screened a series of four commercials for Skittles, Sunburst, Snickers, and M&Ms, each featuring a mini horror movie. Rather than directly promoting the products, the videos engaged the viewer with the brand by creating unforgettably scary stories, ending with a screenshot wishing “Happy Halloween.”

The long-form videos ran for two minutes, providing the necessary time to develop the plot, characters, and suspense for an engaging video story. This follows a clear trend as part of the recent rise in long-form video, which has been known to achieve even higher completion rates than shorter video ads.

Check out another Skittles “Bite Size Horror” commercial, which freaked out spectators when it was screened at a Yankees vs Indians baseball game.

24. Halloween goes haute couture with Dior

If you thought Halloween was all about kids in costumes collecting candy, then you are missing out on the beautiful, dark side of Halloween. Even Dior got into the spooky vibe with an influencer campaign featuring Bella Hadid, where the supermodel demonstrated how to create fabulous makeup looks just for Halloween.

The “how to” makeup videos were promoted on social media under the #DiorMakeupHalloween hashtag, targeting an entirely new Halloween audience with content that speaks their language.

25. Not just for kids – Skoda goes scary

Candy, costumes, and of course, the obligatory pumpkin carving – Halloween is, and has always been, a special day for children.

Skoda, however, decided to appeal to the kid inside every adult. Its car commercial juxtaposes a young boy carving a face into an orange pumpkin against the adult version of the boy. Except years later, he’s carving a face into an orange….Skoda hood cover.

It’s a great example of content designed to appeal to different target audiences.

26. M&Ms engages with interactive ghost stories

Last year, M&Ms ran an interactive social media campaign in the month leading up to Halloween. The campaign featured a weekly installment of an ongoing ghost story, promoted on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Every installment led up to two alternative endings, and viewers were asked to vote on their preferred finale. The following week, the story continued, based on the previous week’s winning ending.

The campaign combined some of the best practices of content marketing: a dynamic story, compelling video, and a layer of interactivity to get audiences engaged and personally involved.

27. Fanta’s holistic approach to horror

Fanta is repeating its popular campaign featuring seasonal graphics on its packaging along with experiential Halloween kits available at every point of sale (POS). This year, the graphics can be scanned to Snapchat, where they unlock Halloween-themed filters.

The soft drink giant’s Halloween campaign combines physical and digital elements, building on its past success. Last year, Fanta sales grew by 23% at convenience stores during the Halloween period.

It just goes to show how powerful content can be when made interactive, and when it includes more traditional marketing activities.

28. Fortnite Does the Ultimate in Suspense – and the Results Show

We’ve discussed before how Fortnite, the world’s leading interactive computer game, pwns when it comes to content marketing. For a game that was released only a year ago, every whiff of marketing generates an incredible amount of interest, and Halloween is no different.

Last year, Fortnite released the Skull Trooper “skin” for Halloween, before the game reached the phenomenal levels of popularity it enjoys today. Now, the marketers behind Fortnite are using an incredible amount of hype to further ignite interest during Halloween 2018.

The question on everyone’s minds: Will Fortnite reinstate the Skull Trooper skin for Halloween this year? It’s this kind of suspense and build up that is the foundation of fantastic marketing.

Just check out the impact of the suspense-laden campaign on Google Trends — interest in the search term “ Fortnite Halloween skins ” just keeps going up and up:

Halloween is not for the faint of heart, and that’s true even within content marketing.

Spice up your Halloween content campaigns with creative inspiration from these seven spooky examples, and you’ll be celebrating with scary-good results!

Also, be sure to download the 2022 consumer insights holiday marketing guide for more tips about gaining and retaining your holiday customers.

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