Contiki celebrates 60 years with Sixties Suitcase Challenge via Eleven
To celebrate its 60th anniversary, youth travel operator Contiki has partnered with TBWA’s earned creative agency Eleven to launch a social media campaign with Millie Ford, challenging the Australian TikTok creator to ‘travel like it’s 1962’.
In a nod to the company’s first Europe trip in 1962, Ford was challenged to take on the Sixties Suitcase Challenge, swapping her smartphone, auto-translate and GPS for a vintage suitcase containing a Polaroid, paper maps and some sixties fashion.
Eleven’s latest work for the travel operator comes after the brand last month expanded its remit with Contiki’s parent company, The Travel Corporation (TTC), taking on work for TTC’s Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold and Costsaver brands as well as its corporate brand activity.
Rolling out across social media and Contiki’s owned channels, the campaign documents Millie’s retro adventure through modern day Europe with only the essentials and the company of her Contiki trip mates. The campaign hones in on the Contiki’s core values of social travel and making lifelong friendships.
The campaign was developed based on research revealing that one in three Australians (38%) wish they could travel how they did in the 60s and retro travel being most desired by those who’ve done it previously, with 82% of Australians of those interested in retro travel having travelled ay some point between the 1960s and 1980s.
The research was conducted by Pureprofile on behalf of Contiki between 3 and 10 August 2022, with a nationally representative sample of 1,255 Australians aged 18 years and older.
Toni Ambler, managing director of Contiki in Australia and New Zealand said: “As we look back on the previous 60 years of travel, it’s fascinating to see the changes and innovations around how people choose to travel, and the way the brand has evolved to meet the needs of our travellers. We’ve seen such an evolution in popular destinations and travel styles, as well as the changes technology has brought to the overall travel experience. But when you pull apart the trends, the one thing that has remained constant over these last 60 years is the desire for human connection and to have a social travel experience whilst making memories for life.
“Since our first tour to Europe in 1962, each trip has been designed to deliver the things we’ve always loved about travel: new memories, new experiences, and new friends. Contiki tours have always been best experienced with friends, old or new. Technology is optional,” said Ambler.
Eleven’s executive creative director, Russ Tucker, said: “Contiki is a brand that has stood the test of time, proving that with or without a smartphone and an internet connection, what really matters when it comes to travelling are the moments you make with the people you meet.”
Credits
Brand: Contiki
Toni Ambler – Managing Director
Anna Neville – General Manager, Marketing
Jayesh Kesry – Head of Media and Communications
Sasha McAlister – Content Marketing Specialist
PR and content: Eleven
Production: Bolt
Media agency: Resolution
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