“1000 Years Apart, 5 minutes away.”
Student Work, Campaign for Travel Sicily. Social + OOH ads.
The Brief
Show how Sicily is uniquely positioned for the trip of a lifetime - no vagueness, no “sun and beach!” Tell us why people who have travelled before should spend their hard earned money on Sicily, over Mexico over Thailand.First Thoughts
The key here is to zero in on what makes Sicily unique. Mexico has ancient sites, and Thailand has beaches - but Sicily has a unique history of dozens of different cultures clashing and building on top of each other. It’s the summation of thousands of years of differences, forged together into a unique island experience. It’s beaches, it’s the best meal of your life, it’s the sun setting on the sand, and it’s also Italy, and Napoleon, and the Romans, and the Greeks, and the Islamic Empires, and the British, all building on top of each other. You can’t find that in Palm Beach.
Our target audience is middle to upper class Canadians aged 36-50; they have a little more money and they’ve travelled enough that a simple luxury resort won’t wow them. They have an interest in world, and they want a vacation to add to their lives, while still being relaxing. The focus here is on drinking in culture and history, while putting your feet up at a 5 star hotel.
So our strategy became this: “When Canadians aged 36-60 travel to resorts in Sicily instead of Mexico or the US, they get to experience the unique cultural history of Sicily on top of it’s luxury resorts and vacation amenities.
The Idea
The experienced traveller is no stranger to Google Maps and spreadsheets. They’re booking their hotels based on what they want to see, and where they want to go. Let’s make it easier for them - Sicily has so many places to see, and almost every single one of them has a 5 star hotel or luxury resort within walking distance. Seriously - the whole island is ancient ruins, and fluffy towels.So here’s the idea. We take one site, one hotel, a simple photograph of them within walking distance of each other, and the line “1000 years apart, 5 minutes away.” We’re almost planning their trip for them; showing them an image of cultural experience at maximum ease. One half of the campaign is social, based on algrorithmic data - taking a break from researching travel destinations, Sicily on the timeline. The other half with be a focus on physical transit ads - bus shelters, subway ads on the trains & in stations. The idea is to get people on a winter commute in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver thinking about the possibility of not only sun and vacation - but a gateway to something fufilling.
Our tagline is “Sicily - Millenia from your balcony.” You get your shot of culture, and you get your Negroni on the balcony. And they happen at the same time. Self-actualization’s never been so easy.