River cruise and tour operator Riviera Travel has hired a new agency as the company drives forward its five-year growth plan to elevate the brand, by making it more visible and compelling than ever before.
London-based independent full-service agency Motel has been selected following a competitive pitch with a brief to creating a new global brand platform and campaign to cut through the “sea of same”.
Incumbent Kitchen, which had handled the business since 2020, declined to repitch. Digital marketing is run by Submerge.
The appointment comes at a crucial time for Riviera with its continued growth across the UK, Ireland and North America.
Motel, which was founded in 2020 by former McCann Worldgroup Rob Smith and former executive creative director Lee Tan, already works with a number travel brands, including Travelopia, Antigua & Barbuda, Quark Expeditions and ticketing platform Train Hugger, as well as Klarna, N Brown, and Fever-Tree.
Riviera Travel head of brand strategy Katy Potten said: “We are entering an exciting chapter. Our focus is on building an impactful new creative platform that truly resonates with the next generation of travellers. Motel brings the consumer insight and experience needed to help us build deeper emotional connections with both our loyal guests and new audiences alike.”
Motel founder and CEO Rob Smith added: “When we first met Katy and the team, we came away feeling we’d work brilliantly together. Riviera is a brand perfectly placed to stand out in a category that has become, literally, a sea of same and their ambitions ideally suited Motel’s ‘thinking from the edge of town’.”
Related stories
Zamora books into Motel for premium limoncello brand
Crisis? What crisis? Travel marketers remain upbeat
Set Fire to the Rain: Brits rush to book their holidays
AA/WARC reaction: Trust or bust for a 2026 ad thrust
Ain’t no stopping us now: 2026 adspend to top £50bn
Be the first to comment on "Riviera Travel hires agency to propel growth strategy"