NEWS marking a ‘step up in travel advertising’, says marketing expert Steve Dunne SPECIAL REPORT hit the mark?
THAT FRED OLSEN FEELING FRED OLSEN CRUISE LINES
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines went some considerable way this year to challenging perceptions about the brand. In an advertisement that oozes class, we see an alchemist in his workshop working on a Fred Olsen ship in a bottle. As he switches his lamp on to look into the bottle, we are transported to the ship with happy cruisers dancing on deck in the bright sunshine of the lamp. He opens the bottle and water spills onto his work surface and produces steam that transfers us to the spa facilities of a Fred Olsen ship. Finally, the alchemist directs a blow torch into the bottle to create spectacular green light that transports us to the northern lights as we see cruisers observing the real thing. The message is clear and the targeting is excellent. A superb effort.
4/5
BIG ORANGE SALE EASYJET HOLIDAYS
With its roots in the no-frills airline world, it’s hardly a surprise that easyJet holidays’ advert for this peaks season is a no-nonsense affair that does exactly what it says on the tin. And at this time of year when people are in “sales mode” looking for a bargain, easyJet holidays delivers. With fast-paced music, the colour orange prominent throughout and lots of signposting around money savings on flights and package holidays – all interspersed with shots of people looking happy and a call to action to “Get out there” – it is an advert bound to appeal to its target audience: the cost- conscious travel consumer.
3/5
ADVENTURE A AITS MARELLA CRUISES
W
The power of the music bed in a TV advert is an often-overlooked element of the presentation and yet with certain brands, Marella Cruises included, it is perhaps the key identifier – you only have to hear the distinctive energetic tune to know who is advertising. Unlike certain other travel adverts with their very familiar theme tunes, Marella’s doesn’t irritate but instead adds to the fast-paced scenes of cruise ships, destinations, happy cruisers and varied activities that make up the Marella product offering. In an environment where grabbing a viewer’s attention and getting them to connect with your brand is so difficult, Marella Cruises’ offering does the job well.
3/5
SA TUI
Y YES TO THE SALE
Tui went with a fairly simple advert this year, with elements that seem very familiar from across the year. Its key strength is that it gets straight to the heart of the matter by promoting Tui’s biggest-ever sale, a theme which very much fits in with most consumers’ mindsets at this time of year. In terms of creativity it isn’t on a par with some of its rivals, but it does have a good mixture of familiar holiday scenes, the strong music bed that we have come to associate with any Tui brand, and key messages about discounts, money off and reliability that will resonate with its target audience. Does it stand out creatively? No. Does it do what we expect of a holiday advert at the turn of the year? Absolutely yes.
3/5
WHY CRUISE WHEN YOU CAN CUNARD?
CUNARD
Cunard’s “Why cruise when you can Cunard?” advertisement aired several times during the festive break. It is a classic television advert that seems to evoke the brand in every way, from the chic sophistication of the woman experiencing the cruise line to the haunting music and evocative words. For those that love Cunard, it will reassure and remind; for those new to the brand, it may just inspire them to try it.
3/5
travelweekly.co.uk
8 JANUARY 2026
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