Who: Club Med with Quebec agency Sept24. Labelium and DentsuX for media.
What: Two new campaigns, one English (“Carve first tracks”) and one French (“La vraie nature de l’évasion,” or “The true nature of escape”), promoting the resort operator’s first Canadian property, Club Med Québec Charlevoix. While the Club Med name tends to be more closely associated with sun and sand, Québec Charlevoix is actually the company’s 22nd mountain resort (the others are in Asia and Europe).
When & Where: The campaign launched late last year with some online video, complemented by social, out-of-home and print. It will be amplified by a 360-degree communications strategy this year.
Why: Simple really: to generate awareness for a new property in a new market. Marketing and communications project manager Julien Laurent said the creative strategy is about reflecting the Club Med brand’s superiority and its ability to deliver an all-inclusive mountain vacation experience that is unmatched in North America.
Laurent said the new all-season resort will welcome approximately 50,000 guests a year. Its customer base will be comprised of several segments: Quebecers from the greater Quebec City area and Montreal; visitors from other provinces, primarily Ontario, as well as U.S. customers; Europeans in search of what Laurent characterized as a “unique diversified winter experience” and Brazilian tourists, which Laurent called a growing clientele for winter ski holidays.
How: The approaches for the English and French markets are markedly different. Club Med has a strong presence in Quebec (where it has operated a Montreal office for 40 years), so the French-language creative is about demonstrating to Quebecers that it’s possible to enjoy a superior holiday in a picturesque setting that’s close to home. The English-language campaign showcases the Club Med brand’s “pioneer spirit” and the launch of a new vacation option.
The creative in both language hews pretty closely to standard travel/resort advertising, except the standard images of white sand and turquoise seas have been swapped for pristine snow and evergreens. The TV spot features lots of beauty shots of Quebec’s natural beauty, soundtracked by French composer Jonathan Fitoussi’s “Andromede.”
And we quote: “The Francophone heritage of Club Med helped to build strong awareness of the brand. But since then, Club Med has become more international and developed stronger recognition in Anglophone markets thanks to marketing and communication efforts.” — Julien Laurent, marketing and communications project manager, Club Med
