In 2009 the Irish Travel Agents Association needed a campaign to stimulate foreign travel bookings through ITAA travel agents. The brief was a reaction to a slowing in the marketplace and a perception by consumers that the best deals would be achieved at the last minute. First Advertising won the campaign on the basis of strong creative proposals coupled with a cost-effective media campaign.

For the campaign to stand out it was essential to develop a strong, memorable message that would work effectively across radio and point of sale. In order to maximise the impact of the campaign we engaged a well-known spokesperson with an appropriate ‘fit’ with the travel industry. Kathryn Thomas, presenter of RTE’s No Frontiers travel programme, who proved to be a very effective and popular spokesperson with both consumers and the ITAA members, lending credibility and weight to the message.

In a difficult trading year, the campaign successfully injected much needed interest and increased enquiries for ITAA member agents.