Who: Booking.com, with Zulu Alpha Kilo for strategy and creative; Arts and Sciences for production (directed by Alex Prager), with Zulubot for social and print production; Arcade Editorial, Wave Studios and Barking Owl Sound for post-production and music; Mindshare for media.
What: “Somewhere, Anywhere,” a new ad on the travel app’s Booking.Yeah platform that will air during the U.S. broadcast of the Super Bowl. This is believed to be the first time a Canadian independent agency has created a spot for the biggest day in advertising (and football).
When & Where: There are a number of different executions, starting with a teaser video which launched online earlier this month, followed by :15s, and a 30-second version that will air during the Super Bowl broadcast—though all are cut from a two-minute version which debuted today (Feb. 9). After the game, the creative will run on TV, streaming audio, online and social channels through the end of April.
Why: Booking.com wants to emphasize that simply booking a trip should be fun and easy, with a wide range of options for travellers. “Booking.com is committed to helping American travellers find and book the perfect trip by offering the widest choice of places to stay,” said Arjan Dijk, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer at Booking.com in a release introducing the campaign.
How: The campaign is anchored by a two-minute song featuring Melissa McCarthy passionately singing about her desire to book a trip “somewhere, anywhere.” The spot opens on McCarthy in bed, staring at her phone. “It’s been too long since I had a vacation, too long since the sun hit my face,” she sings. “It’s about booking time I leave this place.”
The rest of the spot song shows McCarthy singing the Broadway-esque song, with bouncy energetic music and whimsical but functional lyrics explaining the many travel opportunities available through Booking.com—from a fancy hotel with a sexy gardener (played by McCarthy’s husband Ben Falcone), to a cozy cottage for skiing, and glamping “so I don’t have to go outside to pee.”
“The fun of travel starts with a world of possibilities, so I hope the ad gives everybody the inspiration to book their next trip with Booking.com and bring their travel dreams to life,” said McCarthy in the release. “Of course, all of this is to be done while singing “Somewhere, Anywhere.”
While the Booking.com work is led out of Zulu’s New York office, the agency describes this as a “great collaboration between three offices.”
And we quote: “The incomparably talented Melissa McCarthy truly helped bring the creative to life with the message that we hope will resonate with Americans—the best way to book your stay in the U.S. is through Booking.com—and we couldn’t think of a better time to kick off the campaign than the ‘big game.'” —Arjan Dijk, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer, Booking.com
30-second Super Bowl version
:15s
