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The On the Beach brief is believed to be for consumer PR. The travel retailer also split from its creative shop, Uncommon, in August.
The incumbent agency on the consumer PR account, Weber Shandwick, declined to comment.
On the Beach appointed GoCompare group chief marketing officer Zoe Harris as its CMO in November 2020, only to opt out of selling summer holidays this year due to the uncertainty caused by COVID-19.
In May, marketing director Steve Seddon made a dramatic change to the On the Beach’s marketing strategy, telling consumers not to spend money with the group by booking holidays for July and August. He made the move as a gesture to rebuild consumer confidence in the travel industry.
As travel restrictions began to ease, Seddon said: “After deciding to pause sales to build consumer confidence, everyone at On the Beach is excited about the next chapter. Watch this space…”
Harris described the move as “a fascinating opportunity to put pragmatic purpose into action” – with part of that action taking shape as the travel brand’s memorable TV ad featuring Iggy Pop. For 'Someday', the rock star reassured travelers that beach holidays would still be there for them once the pandemic receded.
The spot, set to an orchestral interlude from the track Sunday from Iggy Pop's album Post Pop Depression, was directed by Uncommon executive creative director Sam Walker through Pulse Films. It achieved the highest uplift in ad awareness of any brand in the UK, according to YouGov BrandIndex data.
After launching during ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent on Christmas Day, it ran across TV, online and social media until the end of February. It was also featured in a media partnership with Amazon Prime. The7stars handled media planning and buying.
