P&O Cruises aids landlubbers with reservations

P&O Cruises convinces landlubbers to sail away with them on a free cruise

The Offer: To dispel misconceptions about traveling on a cruise ship and to promote cruising as a fun vacation option, Carnival Australia's P&O Cruises tapped creative agency BMF to help find Australia's ultimate landlubbers. Six winners — the country's most seemingly intractable anti-cruisers — were taken on a free nine-night cruise around the Pacific islands to demonstrate that even die-hard landlubbers can find their sea legs. Their holidays were documented onboard by a film crew.

The Data: More than 500 landlubbers submitted 200 word essays and video entries explaining, in one minute or less, why they had never been on a cruise before and why they were ready to try it now.

The Channel: BMF orchestrated the call for video entries via social media, online and PR efforts. A series of videos of the winners enjoying their first-ever cruises, produced by post production company Jungleboys, was posted to P&O's YouTube page and on its website as proof that a P&O Cruises holiday is good fun for all.

The Creative: P&O's search for landlubbers began in Coober Pedy, a bone-dry, arid opal mining town located in northern South Australia that, BMF said “could well be the landlubber capital of Australia” as many locals even live in underground dugouts.

The Verdict:

Paul Notzold is senior creative director at Aspen Marketing Services, a marketing agency services division of Epsilon. He specializes in the mobile and interactive design and has done work for TIME, the 2008 Obama campaign, Merck, Rogaine, Neutrogena and others.

The contest is interesting and appealing to those that have never been on a cruise. But I'm not sure about the draw to watch these videos, unless I was looking to challenge my own views of why I don't go on cruises. I think they could capitalize on that a little better.