Travel Agents Applaud Royal’s ‘Come Seek’ Ad Campaign

Fast-paced videos of smiling people four-wheeling in a jeep and diving into clear blue waters. Happy kids in swimsuits mugging for the camera. The robot bartenders of the Bionic Bar mixing drinks. The North Star aerial observatory rising against the sky.

All this and more, with a hip-hop sounding Caribbean vibe tapping out a beat in the background, is what constitutes Royal Caribbean International’s colorful new “Come Seek” advertising campaign.

It’s a big improvement over the tired image of the retired couple waiting for the midnight buffet.

“I love it,” said David Crooks, senior vice president of product and operations for World Travel Holdings, which owns such brands as CruisesOnly.com, Cruises.com, Cheapcruises.com and VacationOutlet.com, among others. “It’s very eye-catching, and it may change people’s perception of cruising.”

Crooks believes the new Royal campaign will reach its objective—to make cruising appeal to those much-sought-after first-time cruisers.

The integrated marketing campaign, which debuted this week, includes broadcast, digital, and outdoor advertising, in addition to public relations, social media, and direct marketing.

The cruise line says “Come Seek” is a “call to travelers who want more than to sightsee along the beaten path.” It shows local people in various ports of call along with wildlife, and introduces experiential excursions across the Caribbean, such as an Ocean Racing Experience in Antigua and a Mountain Top Downhill Trek through plantation ruins in St. Maarten.

As Michael Bayley, Royal’s president and CEO puts it: “Our mission is to challenge misperceptions and invite the next generation of travelers to experience the unique Royal Caribbean adventure. Our loyal guests recognize that Royal Caribbean is an adventure designed to inspire and excite the senses. With our new campaign, we will show these new travelers what our guests already know and love.”

Along with adventure shore excursions, Royal’s ads feature the line’s unique onboard offerings, such as its zip-lines, rock climbing walls, the FlowRider surf simulator, and the RipCord by iFly skydiving experience.

World Travel Holdings’ Crooks says it’s important that cruise lines broaden their appeal to younger travelers. “This will certainly get their attention,” he said of the ad campaign, which showcases mainly young people and families with young children having a great time.

With the average age of a cruise passenger at 49, according to Cruise Lines International Association, there’s a collective push in the industry to attract a younger demographic of cruisers, namely Millennials, who would hopefully become longtime repeat customers.

Susan Mirabito, of the Travel Network, in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, says it’s “crucial” to reach out to the group.

“This campaign will have that desired effect,” she predicted. “I have a 24-year-old son who is a travel agent and also completing his final year of law school. We saw a 30-second spot together during Monday night football (I had not told him the specifics of the ad campaign although he knew I had seen it) and he was impressed especially by the music connected to the graphics.”

While the images of the ship and onboard activities will get the attention of first-time cruisers, though, Mirabito isn’t as sure about the excursion shots.

“I do not think that will be enough of a factor to drive business to cruise,” she said. “I say this simply because consumers who take land vacations have seen most of these options through tour operator videos or experienced them on previous vacations and may not necessarily cruise to participate in those activities.”

And most travelers know that time ashore is limited on cruises in any event, she added.

Emerson Hankamer, president of Houston-based Vacations to Go, says he, too, likes the new campaign and thinks it will appeal to non-cruisers and younger vacationers alike, upending the misconception “that cruises are only for old people and that they are too regimented, and boring,” he said.

The campaign also got a nod from Adweek.com, where David Gianatasio wrote this week: “The percussive pacing, while not exactly new, is effective, and there’s a refreshing lack of the usual cruise-ship hype: We’re spared swingin’ moonlight parties on the Lido Deck, and shown actual streets, bays, wildlife and citizens of the Caribbean.”

Pic: Matt H. Wade