This peak season’s crop of TV travel adverts draw on both new and tried-and-tested formulas, with one Which TV ads h I •
t could well be the uncertain economic conditions, or perhaps the sound marketing view that “if it
ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, which governed this year’s peaks travel marketing strategies for television advertising. This year’s offerings resembled
a sort of greatest hits album – a mixture of new material heavily supported by a remix of past hits and some favoured old classics. But having said that, what
was refreshing to see was that in the TV ad breaks that mattered, travel and holidays dominated the content, showing that television advertising in the peaks period is still a crucial part of the marketing mix. But who were the winners and
who were the also-rans in the race to grab the TV viewer’s attention and business? Here’s my view of the candidates’ offerings.
Steve Dunne is chief executive of marketing agency Digital Drums
STREET BARRHEAD TRAVEL
TRA VEL THAT’S RIGHT UP YOUR
As part of a brand refresh, Barrhead Travel hit our TVs with an advertisement filmed in its Glasgow Silverburn store, and it is a masterclass in packing in the key points that will resonate with the target audience in just 30 seconds. Playing nicely on its strong high street presence, the advert is underpinned by the strapline “Travel that’s right up your street”. It starts with an invitation to visit your local Barrhead store, as scenes cut rapidly from a couple seated with a Barrhead holiday expert to a series of typical holiday scenes, overlaid with phrases such as “from the high street to the high seas”, “from here to everywhere” and the agency’s strapline. In a perfect segue, it finishes with a call to action highlighting low deposits, monthly payments and holiday protection, before inviting the viewer to visit the store today. Overall, the advert does its job excellently.
4/5 12 8 JANUARY 2026
travelweekly.co.uk
WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE EXOTICCA
One of the most difficult parts of developing an advert for television is coming up with a line that truly resonates with your target audience, one which doesn’t just grab their attention but makes them want to do something. Exoticca’s advert does just that with the line “Start planning the life you want to see flashing before your eyes”. The blockbuster voiceover talks of Exoticca’s ‘travel crafters’ making it happen for the ad’s protagonist as dramatic Hollywood-style music continues before signing off with the fantastic slogan. This advert is truly exciting and marks a step-up in travel advertising.
5/5 HOLIDA Y LIKE NEVER BEFORE P&O CRUISES
P&O Cruises returned to the screens during the festive break with its familiar “Holiday like never before” advertisement. But in a nice twist that beats the habituation of simply rechurning a familiar TV advert that might just become background noise in a busy household, the key elements, such as the music bed, visual effects and footage of a ship, are interspersed with new imagery of the Mediterranean (previous efforts have focused on the Caribbean or the Norwegian fjords), capturing the magic of the region perfectly. It’s a nice touch, keeping the warm familiarity of a great advert but adding in a few new elements to freshen up the message.
4/5
PICTURE: Steve Dunlop
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