With the big summer getaway fast approaching, the rush is on for travel and holiday brands to bring in those late-bookers who have yet to decide where they are jetting off to.
No so such quick fix for TUI though, the German-owned leisure, travel and tourism company is actually launching a six-month campaign, under the strapline “Live Happy”. And guess what? Those cheeky chappy Geordies Ant and Dec have been recruited as TUI’s official “Happiness Ambassadors”.
Centred around social content which will run on both the TUI and Ant and Dec social media channels, the strategy and idea for the content series was co-created and co-produced by Mitre Studios – which just so happens to be owned by Ant and Dec – and Leo Burnett.
According to the official blurb: “The campaign aims to be a joyful social series that focuses on the exciting moments customers experience before they fly away on a TUI holiday. Ant and Dec feature in the content to ‘dial up the happy’ every step of the journey.”
In the first film of the campaign, we see the Chummy Charlies accept their new roles at TUI, before they go on to brainstorm potential job titles. They discuss several potential titles, from Chief Happiness Officers to Heads of Happy… they even discuss the title ‘Chumps’ (Central Happiness Unit & Maximum Positivity Specialists), before settling on ‘Happiness Ambassadors’.
And that is all you get – for now – although, as the official line continues: “Over the next six months we’re going to be sharing their mischievous adventures through the TUI business to see what they find out – watch this space…”
TUI head of communications Liz Edwards seems thrilled to bits already. She said: “We have an amazing opportunity to work with two of Britain’s happiest and most-loved TV presenters to create a series of social content pieces to shine a light on the lengths that the TUI team goes to in order to help our customers Live Happy as a result of their holidays experiences.”
Leo Burnett UK creative director Rob Tenconi added: “We wanted to find an entertaining way to show the nation that TUI will do whatever it takes to ensure their holiday makers Live Happy. And in our collaboration with the much-loved Ant and Dec, we found our answer.”
So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?
Well, we’re sure the dynamic duo will go down a storm and have all and sundry rolling in the aisles with their “mischievous adventures” – but isn’t that what they already do for Santander Bank and in a previous life did for Morrisons, and have done on every TV show they have ever appeared?
To be fair, you know what you are getting but isn’t this all a little predictable? Then again, what do you expect when “the strategy and idea for the content series was co-created and co-produced by Ant and Dec’s Mitre Studios”?
Hmm. The phrase “sing the theme tune, write the theme tune” springs to mind. Just saying.
Decision Marketing Adometer: A ‘where’s the big idea’ 6 out of 10
