McCann Manchester’s wit combines with director, Greg Bray’s, flair for absurd humour to give travel search engine, Kayak, a distinctive edge.

Dan Noller, executive creative director at McCANN Manchester, explained, “The world doesn’t need another travel ad stitched together from generic holiday shots. We were much more interested in the moment before you book. Our chatty spokesbutton and a shape shifting room gave us a simple visual device to bring to life that feeling of discovering what’s possible in a way that’s playful, distinctive and unmistakably Kayak.”

The new brand campaign, Once you compare, you’re almost there, captures its audience’s imagination with the thrill that comes when holidays start to feel real. The hero commercial transforms searching a flight from a practical task into the beginning of the travel experience. Viewers are taken on a journey through a series of imaginative travel scenarios, capturing the anticipation that starts the moment a traveller hits search.

Michael Gray, senior director, creative at Kayak, noted, “What we love about this campaign is that it takes something genuinely useful, comparing flight prices, and turns it into a story about possibility. One moment Beth is searching for a flight, the next she’s imagining herself in completely different worlds before landing on exactly the trip she wants. It’s humorous, entertaining and full of charm, but underneath it all is the simple Kayak truth – once you compare, you’re almost there.”

Credits:

Client: Kayak
Vice President: Carolina Montenegro
Creative Director: Michael Gray
Creative: Sarah Kolind
Social: Christina King

Creative Agency: McCann Manchester
Executive Creative Director: Dan Noller
Creatives: Conrad Robson & Lewis Dunlop
Design Director: Samantha Oxford-Dean
Head of Strategy: Jordan McDowell
Strategist: Katy Kitchen

Director: Greg Bray