Some trips leave you with souvenirs, but the ones that truly change you leave behind something more significant – a new experience so vivid it lingers long after you return home. This is what travel lifestyle brand, Away, has attached itself to. The campaign by advertising agency, American Haiku, leaves the usual destination lures to one side and explores instead how travel changes a person. Travel Changed Me was shot in Thailand, to coincide with the brand’s ongoing partnership with the new season of HBO’s The White Lotus.

Beautiful visuals and engrossing direction by Jordan Hemingway and FKA twigs has built a sensorial film to lead the campaign, that reminds viewers of travel’s power for self-exploration, for finding the parts of oneself that remain hidden in our day-to-day lives.

The film’s power to captivate is enhanced by Academy Award-nominated cinematographer, Lukasz Zal, who shot on 35 mm film, and production company, Object & Animal.

Travel Changed Me is a response to the notion that travel is more than an escape. It’s a catalyst for change. The campaign is targeted to women aged 25-40, and aims to highlight Away’s distinct identity and deepen the connection with its community.

Thom Glover, CCO at American Haiku, commented, “We wanted to go beyond the traditional travel industry narrative. Travel Changed Me isn’t about destinations, it’s about transformation. Travel can be a powerful motivator for self-discovery, for uncovering new parts of who you are. Our goal with this campaign was to reignite a spark of wanderlust within Away’s audience. We wanted to remind them that exploring the world can unlock inner freedom.”

Jordan Hemingway & FKA twigs, added, “We wanted to look at things differently. We never remember our most poignant experiences of travel exactly as they were. They come to us as dreamlike memories, the things that stood out, that made them noteworthy, these are the impressions that stick with us, and become part of who we are.”

The film follows other components of Away’s partnership with HBO’s The White Lotus that have celebrated the spirit of transformation, including the recent The White Lotus product line and a reworking of the show’s title sequence for the line. The campaign is running on Away’s social channels and e-comm.

Christine Gallagher, vice president of integrated marketing at Away, stated, “Travel has always been about more than getting from one place to another. It’s about living in the moment, expanding your horizons, and learning something new. At Away, we pride ourselves on products that are designed to last trip after trip. We hope this spot empowers people to explore more, see more, and experience more of the world with confidence.”

Credits:
Client: Away
Advertising Agency: American Haiku
Chief Creative Officer: Thom Glover
Creative Directors: Ally Betker, Michael Hess, Ben Muckensturm
Executive Producer: Mike Hasinoff

Production Company: Object & Animal
Directors: Jordan Hemingway & FKA twigs                   
Executive Producers: Morgan Clement, Dom Thomas                                
Director of Photography: Lukasz Zal                                    
2nd Camera Operator: Stanislaw Cuske                       
Head of Production: Rob Day                                                            
Producer: Alex Chamberlain                                                                                                         
Production Manager: Sophia Dembitzer
Production Assistant: Harvey Moore
Hair & Makeup: Sam Lasscelle                                            

Production Service Company: TA Prod Inc.                
CEO: Serge Thimbre
Partner & Executive Producer: Louis Ditapichai
Partner: Chloe Wisaiket
Line Producer: Boong Ponsaengson
Production Manager; Tarn Khongsuthum
1st Assistant Director: Livt Pokinlarpat
Art Director: Salem Kareeroj
Stylist: Debbi Devakula Na Ayudhaya

Editing: Marsheen
Editor: Dominic Leung
Assistant Editors: Ian Nabong, Matthew Blacklock
Executive Producer: Harriet Cawley                                          
Colour: Electric Theatre Collective  
Colourist: Connor Coolbear
Producer: George Blomiley                                                    
Post Production & VFX: Purple Martin Studio
Executive Producer: Joseph Radonich
Production Manager Conor Joyce
Producer: Ollie Barron
VFX Artists: Antonio Milo, James Littlemore
Music Supervision: Curation Music         
Executive Creative Director: Sunny Kapoor 
Managing Director: Connie Edwards                                                             
Music: Mae Kha Som Tam by Onuma Singsiri (Remix by VOWWS)                                         
Voice-over Casting: Just Voices Casting          
Sound Design & Mix: Ballad                        
Sound Designers & Mixers: Adrian Aurelius, Philip Nicolai Flindt     
Executive Producer: Gregers Mærsk Møller