Travel ads of the week: What it takes to make an online travel ad pop

As brands compete online for a few seconds of consumers’ attention spans, the key is to be engaging and get the message across quickly. This might mean upbeat music, bright colors, or strong voiceovers, but definitely does not include elevator music or 90 seconds of green pastures.

This week’s travel video roundup compares the styles of two destination marketing videos and two airlines’ customer service videos to see how travel brands are creating content for online platforms. Plus, there’s a look at one new concept for traveling through Mexico.

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For all of our SkiftAds of the Week collection, check out our archives here.

England succeeds in making itself look magnificent. VisitEngland teamed up with outdoor clothing and equipment provider Blacks to launch the Access All Areas initiative to inspire and challenge the British public to get outdoors.

The ad is driven by the decisive voiceover: “This is your land. Breathe it in, feel its soul, see its beauty, pit yourself against it, and run into the heart of it. Take everything it can throw at you and ask for more. own Love it, live it, revel in it, and take pride in it. England’s waiting. Live life outdoors.”

As a comparison, this marketing video by VisitWiltshire takes more than double the time and generic music to get a similar message out. The contrast in the two ads is a good example of how destination videos should be made for online viewers with short attention spans.

United Airlines’ hits on a great point, which is that customers are apt to judge an airline on one-on-one interactions just as quickly as they are on systemic delays or cancellations.

It’s ironic that United should release this video touting its customer service just days before events regarding a rerouted unaccompanied minor prompted PublikDemand to write a letter scolding CEO Jeff Smisek, which has since made its way around the web.

Another airline sends a message about its customer service by showing rather than telling viewers how important it is to their business. Qatar Airways hones in on its customer service by portraying a flight attendant whose duties are so engrained that she completes while them outside of the job.

Travel Basecamp is a documentary series based on the concept of basecamping, described as “Hacking the all-inclusive resort concept by treating the resort like a basecamp for your suitcase, but breaking beyond the gates to discover local culture.”

A complete travel guide is said to be in the works, but the group is first running a contest to spread its name and message. The project is sponsored by Canadian tour company Nolitours.

Airberlin’s 30-second commercial is a mashup of all the components we already know make up the flight experience: packing, stewards, and destinations. We think airberlin is capable of better marketing than this.