As the new year begins, Princess Cruises is launching a fresh advertising campaign to remind travelers that cruising can transform and enrich their lives, and set the line’s cruise vacations apart as an opportunity for passengers to “come back new.” The $20 million program will be the company’s most extensive ever, and marks a return to television and radio advertising for the brand, which has not taken to the airwaves for more than a decade.
The new campaign, which debuts today, is aimed at those consumers who the cruise line’s research has uncovered as “meaningful travelers” – those who value experiences over things, and desire enriching and transformative vacation experiences. The ads feature people cruising with Princess who experience memorable moments onboard while connecting with nature, cultures and loved ones in a different way, and “come back new.”
The new TV spots will launch during the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards® Red Carpet Show airing on the CW network January 16.
Created by award-winning agency Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, the spots will air both online and on major television networks including CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox, plus many top cable networks and shows. They will be complemented by a series of dramatic print ads that evoke the enriching possibilities of Princess’ worldwide cruise destinations, which will appear in national and regional magazines. Radio and digital advertising will round out the campaign.
“This new campaign is an exciting opportunity for us to differentiate Princess Cruises in the minds of travelers,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “After extensive research, we identified a growing segment of people who want their vacations to transform them with new perspectives, new friendships and new stories. They are increasingly looking to discover new places, learn about other cultures, try new foods from the places they’re visiting, and gain inspiration from the world they don’t see every day. They want to ‘come back new,’ and our new campaign shows that Princess is the best cruise line to deliver this to them.”
The new television spots focus on personal experiences at sea, with beautiful photography to capture the idea that “a moment can transform you forever.” Ads take viewers along as a father lovingly carries his happily exhausted daughter along the Promenade Deck, creating a lifetime memory. Other ads show couples who discover the true value of time together, and how a wonderful day exploring Italy can inspire a surprising twist from the expected.
“Our new advertising theme really captures the essence of our brand promise to our passengers,” Swartz continued. “The ads were actually inspired by our passengers’ stories about how they return from their cruise vacation feeling rejuvenated and more closely connected with their loved ones, and with fresh perspectives stimulated by the beauty of the ocean, of the world and other cultures they visited, and their onboard experiences.”
The print ads explore a variety of cruise destinations, cultures and experiences that can lead passengers to “come back new.” Focusing initially on Alaska and Caribbean cruises, the ads capture the transformative moments of exploration. The ads will appear in a variety of outlets, including Travel & Leisure, Food and Wine, Sunset and National Geographic Traveler. Radio spots that continue the “come back new” theme will air in major markets around the U.S., including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, and Miami. The new ads and other campaign materials will roll out through the month of January.
The new broadcast spots are available at princess.com/come-back-new.
The new campaign was created by Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, an award-winning advertising agency based in San Francisco. The campaign executive creative director is Rich Silverstein, and the co-creative directors are Kate Catalinac and Damian Fitzgerald.
