Crammed commutes, hollering hotel neighbours, and shuddersome shared spaces – actor and comedian Nick Offerman urges people to “Get HomeAway from it all” in the holiday rental company’s newest television ad campaign.
In a follow-up to HomeAway’s CLIO award-winning “It’s Your Vacation, Why Share It?” campaign of 2016, the newest creative humorously shows the many reasons why getting away in a HomeAway holiday home far outweighs staying in a hotel or paying to sleep under the same roof as a complete stranger.
“The weight of all that is happening in the world, from politics to our daily routines, has everyone in search of relief. People want to get away from it all, to disconnect and spend time with loved ones,” said Mariano Dima, HomeAway chief marketing officer. “Holiday rentals are the ultimate solution because they offer the space and privacy that other accommodations just can’t provide, so we created this campaign to show everyone how much better renting a whole home can be.”
The new advertisements highlight why travellers should stay in a holiday rental by showing unsavoury characters and awkward circumstances in hotels and sharing economy accommodations, contrasted with a serene holiday home and time spent with loved ones. In his role as narrator, Offerman captivates viewers with a catchy rhyme, “Get away, get HomeAway, from work and rules and hosts that wanna hang. A whole home, so far away. You’ve got all this room to roam, it’s better than my house at home.”
Directed by Tom Kuntz, a multi-award winning director known for his Old Spice commercial, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” the ad airs across Europe and the U.S. on television and online and will be presented in 120, 60, 30, 20 and 15 second formats.
“We are proud to help grow holiday rentals from an alternative way to stay to a preferred one, but there are still millions of travellers who have not yet discovered the benefits of staying in a whole home. We aim to change that,” said Steve Stamstad, HomeAway vice president of global brand marketing. “This is our most aggressive marketing effort to date, as we strive to grow awareness of HomeAway and drive more travellers to book with us.”
Andy Jex, executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi London, added, “We thought we'd heard all the reasons there are to get away from it all, then 2016 turned up and dealt us a whole load more. With HomeAway you get the whole house so we thought we'd go the whole hog, with an all-singing-extravaganza-ode to getting HomeAway from it all. It just felt right.”
The campaign was developed by HomeAway in partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi London, and filmed in New Zealand with Blue 449 handling the media planning and buying. The ads will on TV on ITV, C4 and Sky in the UK, as well as in France, Germany and the US. There will also be a social media campaign using 20 and 15 second cut-downs, which will be promoted across online channels including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“Renting the whole home is the perfect way for families and groups to reconnect without having to share those special moments with strangers, and with more than one million online bookable properties HomeAway offers the best way to get away from it all,” added Stamstad.