| Title | FLIGHTYES2014 |
| Brand | THOMAS COOK |
| Product/Service | HOLIDAYS |
| Category |
A02. NON-FICTION: SERIES OR FILM |
|
Entrant Company
|
BOONDOGGLE Leuven, BELGIUM
|
|
Contributing Company
|
BOONDOGGLE Leuven, BELGIUM
|
|
Production Company
|
PIXMIX STUDIOS Berchem, BELGIUM
|
Credits
| Alexander Schmitt |
Thomas Cook |
Head Of Marketing |
| Tim Tavernier |
Thomas Cook |
Head Of Communication |
| Dominique Vanhove |
Thomas Cook |
Head Of Digital Marketing |
| Kim Leunen |
Thomas Cook |
Social Media Coordinator |
| Sylvie Clauwaert |
Thomas Cook |
Marketing Co/Ordinator Thomas Cook Airlines |
| Sylvie T'jaeckx |
Thomas Cook |
Communications Co/Ordinator |
| Niels Schreyers/Odin Saillé |
BOONDOGGLE |
Creative Directors |
| Dieter Vanhoof/Bout Holtof |
BOONDOGGLE |
Creative Team |
| Jonas Moors/Nele Vande Walle/Layla Van Engeland |
BOONDOGGLE |
Campaign Managers |
| Roger D'hoogh |
Pixmix Studios |
Director |
| Patrick Schepers |
Pixmix Studios |
Producer |
The Campaign
Branded content can freely be broadcasted through digital channels as facebook, youtube, a brand's own website. General regulations apply regarding copyrights and advertising.
Results
People tend to think of tour operators as impersonal and therefore unattractive. As Thomas Cook does quite the opposite by going the extra mile, it was important for the company to reposition itself, not just in Belgium, but internationally.
The international brand’s essence was redefined to ‘inspiring personal journeys by the trusted pioneer in global travel’ which was visualised in a new heart-shaped logo. They asked us to think of a creative, surprising way to express this new brand essence to their target group.
We gave two people the most personal moment of their lives: a surprise wedding up in the air and a dream honeymoon. On Valentine’s day 2014, Thomas Cook posted an ordinary Facebook status targeted only at men: “What if you could marry your girlfriend up in the air?”.
For one of the guys who responded, Thomas Cook made it happen - on one condition: it had to be a total surprise for his bride. And that’s how it happened. The video of the preparations and the wedding was released some weeks later on YouTube and that's how the Thomas Cook magic got spread.
We launched the video through the brand's youtube channel and promoted this through their international social media pages in Belgium, UK, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany.
One newspaper had the exclusive rights to bring the story on that same first day.
We got in touch with our international PR-contacts at the biggest online news and mediaplatforms (Huffington Post, Daily Mail, ...) to make sure they picked up the story.
Another part of our seeding plan existed in submitting the video on big content platforms such as Buzzfeed and Reddit that promote the best of the internet.
In just one week, more than 1 million people worldwide saw how committed Thomas Cook is to giving its customers unforgettable, personal experiences. In Belgium, the happy couple was interviewed within 24 hours on “Hotel M”, a live TV show. Almost all of the national publishers covered the story. The rest of the world followed quickly: Daily Mail, Huffington Post, Fox News, Buzzfeed, Reddit, 20minutes , the US TV show “Right This Minute”, etc. The total value of earned media exceeded 1 million euro! It paid off: the story had a positive influence on the perception of Thomas Cook’s values and purchase intentions, which increased by 28%.