For the last few years, our antidote to isolation has been accumulation. Buying stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. But the trouble is, the temporary high of accumulating stuff is just that - temporary. Together with Expedia, we saw an opportunity to remind people that what really matters in life is the experiences we have, not the things we buy.

The spot is full of imaginary far away places, only crafted to help sell “stuff.” As such, we see hints of different types of cinematography, while not losing focus of our main hero and message. As the director, Lance Acord, said: “Ewan’s monologue stands out amidst the surrounding physical activity, but the [mostly] wordless workaday efficiency makes all the “stuff” feel even less significant. Especially when Ewan opens the yellow door, which floods the soundstage with radiant sunlight as the lovely soothing sound of surf, wind, seagulls and distant kids’ laughter wafts over us. The real world has never felt so beautiful, so perfect and so present.”

We wanted to establish that there is more to life than stuff, both in film and with our online activation/SB takeover.

To establish our point of view, there was no better stage for us than the Super Bowl: the day that consumerism is at its most heightened. Quite literally, our ad would be a commentary on all the other ads running that day; playfully subverting the format in order to make an important point about what matters most to us all.

The film features Ewan McGregor walking through sets that pay homage to some of the most iconic Super Bowl commercials of all time: chips, drinks, car companies, and many, many more if you can spot them. As he admires but ultimately escapes the chaos of the studio lot, Ewan challenges us all with the question, “Will we regret the things we didn’t buy? Or the places we didn’t go?”

But we didn’t stop there - we knew we needed to put our money where our mouth was. During the Super Bowl, while other brands sold stuff in their ads, we turned their ads into a chance to travel. Teaser videos, paid social, push notifications, and emails encouraged people to tune into the game and follow us on Twitter for their chance to #TraveltheAds. As the ads released, we gave away trips (rather than more stuff!) in real-time.

7.14 Billion Earned Impressions

42K Valid Entries In Our Hashtag

180X More Reach Than Other Travel Brands

Winner of The Most Creative Brand During The Game (From Twitter)