In recent times, there have been many restrictions on international travel in order to protect people and reduce the spread of Covid. After more than a year of anticipation, EU travel restrictions are easing and against this backdrop, Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, and the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) are launching a campaign to promote safe foreign travel.
Travelling has been a big part of people’s lives. Whether it’s going on a holiday, reconnecting with loved ones abroad or just impulsively jumping on a flight to explore a foreign country - there’s always a sense of adventure.
Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, and the DAA wanted to remind people of that feeling of excitement and anticipation by focusing on one specific object that each one of us associates with travelling. For some it could be their passport, or their favourite bathing suit, or perhaps the comfortable old travel pillow.
The 30” spot focuses on three people reuniting with their talismanic objects – reunions that are a little bit more emotional for not having happened in well over a year. The campaign assures people of all the safety regulations firmly put in place at Dublin Airport and Cork Airport, which allow people to finally make those journeys that matter so much. The campaign title: Ready When You Are, gives a voice to the campaign’s message, which is: “when you’re ready to go, we’re ready to help”.
“For us, the main challenge when thinking about this commercial, was tone. “Ready when you are” seemed to strike the right balance of excitement and prudence," said John McMahon, Creative Director at Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive. "And the story of three characters emotionally reuniting with their beloved travel objects before converging excitedly in the airport, felt like a suitably warm way to communicate that. Tom Merillion directed with huge sensitivity and Loah gave us a spine-tingling rendition of “Everybody’s Talkin” with the help of maestro John Walsh. We had great collaborators throughout, and I think it shows.”
“When we briefed Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, we wanted them to do something special, once we had the official guidance, to invite the public with gentleness and sensitivity to fly again," said Sinead Quish, Head of Consumer and Digital Marketing Dublin Airport, DAA. "We want those who are ready to fly to rest assured that, with restrictions now lifting, our airports have all the safety measures in place to help them feel safe and looked after. By focusing on those little things that get us excited about travel, the film sums up this mood of anticipation perfectly. We’re incredibly happy with how it has turned out and we hope people are as excited about flying again as we are about welcoming them back through our doors.”
To portray the joy, optimism and escapism associated with travel, Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, chose the beloved classic by Fred Neil/Harry Nilsson “Everybody’s Talkin” for the soundtrack of the spot, but with a little contemporary Irish twist. Irish and Sierra Leonean singer, Loah's powerful and exquisite performance of the song further complemented the quintessentially Irish feel of the spot.
