Why Sunwing relies on digital video and connected TV

The brand shifts its media strategy to reach young couples and young families.

Sunwing is spoofing the banking sector to show that it offers more than affordable all-inclusive travel packages. The hero spot of its new campaign follows a “Flynancial Advisor” bursting into a couple’s home to offer unsolicited travel advice and money saving tips, filling their living room with Caribbean getaway accoutrements. The campaign is about how Canadians can now maximize their vacation budgets via Sunwing’s new Flynancial Advisory Hub, a tool available on the Sunwing website.

The media plan includes exposure on TV, streaming services, Cineplex cinemas, OOH, Spotify and radio. The brand also partnered with a network of creators to publish content with personal experiences using the Flynancial Advisory Hub.

EssenceMediacom handled media buying, while John St. led the creative.

Samantha Taylor, chief marketing and digital officer at Sunwing Vacations Group, tells Media in Canada that while TV and cinemas are regular channels for the brand, this campaign has concentrated efforts on digital video and connected TV because that’s where its core target audience – young couples and young families – spends most of its time.

According to Taylor, targeting this audience is important for the brand, as a recent company survey revealed that they are taking a smarter approach to travel and using different strategies to save more, such as traveling in the off-season, booking early and looking for all-inclusive vacation deals that offer a single price upfront, mostly due to the current difficult economic situation.

Canadians are looking for more value in their purchases and travel is no exception, Taylor says. They value their vacations and make sacrifices in order to go on vacation, plus young people are eager to share time with their loved ones, so it was a good opportunity to show that the brand listens to them and takes into account what they are looking for, she notes.

“We are showing how we deliver on that value and are helping consumers save and spend in smart ways to make their dream vacations a reality, even with current economic headwinds, like inflation, which we know is top of mind for many Canadians,” Taylor adds.

The campaign builds on the existing “Save More, Do More” brand platform, but also serves as a springboard for future marketing strategies as it demonstrates how the company is stepping up to deliver even more value to travel enthusiasts with the new hub. “We are showcasing the overall value of an all-inclusive Sunwing vacation, and how we’re here to help Canadians make savvy flynancial decisions and take their vacation budgets further,” Taylor says.