It is almost impossible to over-estimate the impact of the pandemic on travel brands. Yet as travel tentatively re-starts brands have the sights firmly set on staging a creative comeback. To mark this return, P&O Ferries has partnered with Publicis•Poke to create a campaign to launch a new strategic brand platform ‘To The Sea’ which began with a teaser film ‘A Calling’ in February and now will see a new 30” TV spot airing across the UK.

For a generation that has grown used to budget airline flights, ‘To The Sea’ aims to showcase the excitement of sea travel and uses the ad slot to recreate the thrill of catching a ferry. The creative utilises ocean imagery such as seashells and everyday bodies of water like a mop and buckets to show people being reminded of the ocean and called by the sea. The ad aims to show that unlike other modes of travel, catching a ferry is unique and a holiday can start from the very moment a tourist is surrounded by the sea.

Sarah Rosier, Director of Passenger Sales, P&O Ferries, explains: “Many older folk will nostalgically remember hopping onto a ferry for the holiday to France as youngsters but for the easyJet and AirBnB generation, ferry travel is not as front of mind when planning a holiday. As a market leader that for over 180 years has ferried curious travellers on their dream adventures for generations, we have the foundations to inspire this intrepid generation and feed their desire for freedom by rediscovering the uniqueness of ferry travel for years to come.”

Running alongside the TV ad is a digital content series, ‘Ferry Tales’, which aims to generate a more in-depth conversation around travelling with P&O. The short films showcase the unexpected adventures that P&O Ferries make possible, such as cycling from Edinburgh to Munich and taking friends on surf tour of Northern Ireland and the West coast of Scotland. With personal anecdotes of Ferry travel, the minifilms show the brand to be at the heart of many memories of travel. The first three of these minifilms, which have been shot by Charlie Crane, will be released alongside the TV campaign launch with more in development to be released later in the year.

The TV ad was shot under lockdown by Si&Ad  and therefore aims to capture the consumer sentiment for safety, convenience and flexibility, without compromising on the travel experience. To The Sea aims to reposition ferry travel from a centuries-old means of transport to instead now resonate with those who may not have initially considered it as an option when planning a holiday.

The campaign has been developed by Publicis Groupe UK’s ‘Power of One’ proposition, with media agency Starcom handling the media strategy and Publicis•Poke devising the new brand strategy and platform, as well as the creative and the brand’s new visual identity. The soundtrack of the TV spot is by 1950s Polynesian poet, musician, artist and professional basketball player Paul Page and the brand line, ‘To The Sea’, hand-crafted by multi-award-winning typographist Allison Carmichael. 

Dave Monk, ECD, Publicis•Poke, added: “‘To The Sea’ is not only a glass raising salute to the oceans, but an open invitation to adventure. To pack up the car, van, motorhome or sidecar and head over the horizon. Like the whole country this campaign has been patiently waiting on land while we all waited for the borders and regulations to open, and pun utterly intended, it’s finally setting sail. A timeless idea that couldn’t be more timely.”

As brands hope to inspire consumers to return to travel, injecting imagination and fun into the journey will lure audiences back to the sea.