Best Travel Online Video

Audience: Travel Agents

Campaign Goal: The COVID-19 global pandemic decimated the travel industry. Flights were grounded, resorts sat empty, and nobody purchased travel insurance because there was nowhere to go. The ‘staycation’ took on a whole new meaning, but a kitchen island is a far cry from the Caribbean.

Coming out of the pandemic, Manulife Travel Insurance wanted to inspire travel agents, travel agencies, and the larger travel community, and give them the confidence to send their clients travelling again. But how do you do this after two years of stagnation?

From a strategic perspective, we knew that our whole industry had felt the impact of the pandemic, but we also knew how resilient our travel agents and agencies are. We didn’t want to dwell on the pandemic but instead look ahead. We saw the return of travel as a new moment for the travel industry. An opportunity for customers to get back to what they love, make up for lost time, and travel like never before. With this in mind, we came up with the strategic position: “Bring it on!”

The creative spoke to all the things that customers missed when they couldn’t travel during the pandemic. But these weren’t the obvious things. We didn’t feature white sandy beaches, five-star resorts, or Instagram-able dishes. Instead, we focused on the things our customers might not have longed for before the pandemic (consider them the downsides of travel) but now can’t wait to get back to.

Contributors:

Creative Director:	John Rocca
Senior Writer:	Taylor Evans
Senior Art Director:	Shira Kirsch
Project Manager:	Sharlette Calderon
Proofreader:	Motria Mielnik
Manager, Alternative Distribution & Marketing, Travel Insurance:	Joe Fotia
Director, National Sales Travel Industry Distribution:	Jennifer Waver
Director, Strategic Initiatives & Business Development:	Catherine Dineen

MANULIFE FINANCIAL

Location: Canada