1 July, 2014
LONDON - Ogilvy & Mather London today unveils a new integrated, pan-European campaign for leading online travel retailer, Expedia, which uses the flexibility of the 'Travel Yourself Interesting' platform to elevate the product to centre stage. Fresh from receiving a prestigious Cannes Lions Creative Effectiveness Award, the overarching campaign has delivered a positive ROI for Expedia and scooped a host of prestigious awards, such as D&AD, The One Show, London International Awards and the Marketing Society Awards for Excellence.

Launching on 1 July and running for three months across Europe, the new campaign features three new TVCs that demonstrate the truth that travel makes you a more interesting person. With product messages at their heart, the TV ads are accompanied by targeted online films that aim to interrupt consumers on YouTube, Facebook and VOD and challenge them to move away from the computer screen and 'travel themselves interesting'.

Each of the TV ads shines a spotlight on the underdog who always comes out on top. The first ad shows Illusionist Hugo presenting breathtaking tricks, such as removing his torso from his legs live on stage. But when he looks up from his amazing feat, he sees that Brian, the sound guy, has stolen the crews' attention away from his tricks with his recent holiday snaps from Hawaii.

The second film shows Esteban the Horse Whisperer performing jaw-dropping acrobatics and tricks with his horse. However he's shocked to find that his usual audience is more interested in ranch worker Pedro's trip to New York, to even bat an eyelid at his achievements.

The final ad shows Brad the Stuntman, risking his life and jumping from death defying heights, only to find that Janice the taco lady has become the new star of the show, reeling the film crew in with her travel tales and photos from Paris.

All three executions will run this summer, across countries including the UK, France, and Germany.

Andrew Warner, Snr Marketing Director, commented: "Together we have created a brilliantly subtle new campaign, heroing the product whilst perfectly capturing and elevating the Travel Yourself Interesting idea. We're confident that the great strategy and creative solution will deliver further positive, tangible business results for Expedia."

Gerry Human, chief creative officer at Ogilvy & Mather London, commented: ": Expedia's brave decision to steer away from travel marketing clichés already paid dividends for the brand, so now that we're emphasising their awesome products, we expect even better results from the campaign.

About Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. Through its specialty units, the company provides a comprehensive range of marketing services in-house including: brand advertising; direct marketing; interactive; digital and targeted media; brand identity; retail and in-store promotions; trade/event marketing, public relations; CRM and loyalty marketing; fast-track, low-cost delivery; analytics and research capabilities; strategic partnerships; branded content and entertainment; multicultural marketing, and sustainability marketing. Ogilvy & Mather services Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through its network of more than 450 offices in 120 countries. It is a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, visit www.ogilvy.com.

About Expedia
Expedia is the world's leading online travel agent offering access to over 205,000 hotels around the world (including boutique hotels as well as major hotel brand names),over 300 airlines along with a wide selection of car hire and destination experiences. By combining choice with specialist tools to help refine these options, Expedia.co.uk helps travellers to find and create the trip that best matches their individual requirements. Expedia.co.uk partners with loyalty programme Nectar in the UK enabling its customers to collect 200 Nectar points on flight only, hotel or car hire bookings and 1000 points on package purchases through www.expedia.co.uk.

Expedia.co.uk is part of the Expedia Inc. brand portfolio. The company delivers consumers value in leisure and business travel, drives incremental demand and direct bookings to travel suppliers, and provides advertisers the opportunity to reach a highly valuable audience of in-market travel consumers through Expedia Media Solutions. Expedia also powers bookings for some of the world's leading airlines and hotels, top consumer brands, high traffic websites, and thousands of active affiliates through Expedia® Affiliate Network.

Expedia, Expedia.co.uk and the Airplane logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the European Union and certain other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. © 2013 Expedia, Inc.

Credits

Title/Project: Expedia - Travel Yourself Interesting
Brief: To creatively evolve the Expedia brand platform of Travel Yourself Interesting, demonstrating the truth that travel - facilitated by Expedia's website and mobile app - makes you a more interesting person.
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather London
Brand: Expedia
Client name and job title: Andrew Warner, Snr Marketing Director
Copywriter: Simon Lotze ; Jon Morgan
Art director: Miguel Nunes; Mike Watson
Executive Creative Director: Gerry Human
Planner: Mattijs Devroedt
Account Lead/Director: Mark Lainas ; Larry Ball-Piatti
Account Manager: Briony Gittins; Joseph Grigg ; Anastasia Selezneva
Media agency: PHD
Production company: TV- Moxie Productions; Online film - Disqo
Music: Track -"Travel Yourself Interesting"; Siren Music - Stuart Hancock
Exposure: TV, online, radio
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