In a TIFF: Intrepid Travel’s pop-up hopes to reach a new audience

The brand is looking to increase visibility outside of the travel industry with film activation.

Intrepid Travel has partnered with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to be the sponsor of its “Midnight Madness” program, which highlights action, horror, shock and fantasy films. As the event’s partner, the brand placed a pop-up during the weekend.

Located on King Street, the Intrepid “Travel Box Office” allowed pedestrians to interact with travel-inspired movie posters and enter to win a trip for two to Japan, Italy, Peru or India. Those who interacted with the pop-up and attended the “Midnight Madness” event also had a chance to win TIFF tickets and other travel prizes. The brand promoted the activation through social media, with Momentum Worldwide in charge of the design, production and execution of the experience.

Christian Wolters, Intrepid Travel president in Canada and GM of marketing for North America, tells Media in Canada that the activation “helps significantly boost our brand visibility in one of our key markets, Toronto, and directly [reaches] a demographic that values culture, community, and adventure.”

Wolters notes that expanding its marketing outside of the travel sector, particularly in Canada, is an important component of its 2030 strategy, and that this activation helped achieve that goal. In particular, Intrepid was looking to attract culture-loving Canadians between the ages of 19 and 55, as well as 18- to 25-year-olds and retirees over 65.

“This activation is part of our over-investment in brand with an objective of meeting potential Intrepid travellers where they are. Our new approach is to attract instead of chase customers while adding value to the communities that we advertise in,” Wolters adds.

Through giveaways and interactive experiences, Wolters says the brand is hoping to foster a deeper connection with potential customers. “We believe in investing in the brand just as much (if not more) than we do in performance marketing,” he says.

Intrepid also wanted to increase its visibility ahead of the launch of its global campaign “#OnlyIntrepid,” which focuses on the experiences and journeys it offers, from following a local leader through the sacred mountains of Bhutan, to learning to make mochi with a local family in rural Japan. “This activation [gives] the TIFF audience a taste of what it’s like to travel with Intrepid,” Wolters says.