Summary
Cunard wanted to create a global campaign which showcased its modern, glamorous brand values and drive consumer engagement during the travel sector’s competitive January sales period. Working with creative agency SHOOK, the company leveraged its 100 year around-the-world cruise and onboard photography anniversaries to create an online ‘Sea Views’ exhibition which featured historical celebrity passengers as well as members of the public. The celebrity exhibition showcased Cunard’s aspirational brand values while the user-generated content element of the campaign drove consumer interaction and engagement with these values. Publicised via PR, social media and email marketing, the three-month campaign resulted in Cunard’s most successful January booking period in 10 years.
Objectives and aims
- Reintroduce Cunard’s heritage to new and existing customers
- Drive awareness, brand affinity and consideration
- Develop an idea that works across multiple channels, to communicate to a wide, global audience
Implementation, execution and key tactics
2023 marked two Cunard centenaries: 100 years since its first around the world cruise and since it became the first cruise line to introduce on-board photography.
The strategy was to curate an online exhibition of on-board images which would showcase Cunard’s ‘glamour and grandeur’ brand values, as well as drive consumer interaction by inviting the public to submit images of their own Cunard passenger experiences from the last 100 years. To drive further awareness, celebrity photographer and film-maker Mary McCartney was chosen to curate the exhibition which was hosted on the Cunard brand website.
The consumer call-to-action was launched via a PR campaign, Cunard’s social media channels and an email marketing campaign to Cunard’s customer database. Within four weeks, over 1,000 images had been uploaded onto the campaign website from people in Australia, Canada, Germany and the UK.
The launch of the final ‘Sea Views’ exhibition, including on board images of Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor, Sir Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela alongside images of members of the public offered another opportunity to engage with consumers via PR, social media and email marketing.
Results
- Cunard achieved its most successful January booking period in over 10 years
- 5.3 billion global reach through international media coverage
- Above average email open rate of 57%, with a 5.5% clickthrough rate