Royal Caribbean International has received the New York American Marketing Association's Gold EFFIE Award for its "Get Out There" advertising and marketing campaign - widely considered to be the top advertising effectiveness award within the US' advertising and marketing circles.
Royal Caribbean's "Get Out There" campaign, created by ad agency Arnold Worldwide, which highlights the active and involved vacation experience guests can have on a RC cruise, was launched to generate increased demand for Royal Caribbean vacations during a time of unprecedented growth within the company and the cruise industry itself.
The campaign, that includes print, television, radio, website, and Internet marketing, is credited with successfully targeting a consumer mindset and significantly increasing brand preference and web traffic, as well as driving strong financial results for Royal Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean launched the "Get Out There" campaign in 2000, positioning the brand as an adventurous and active vacation experience. Its television commercials depict people swimming with stingrays in the Caribbean, hiking on glaciers in Alaska, and ascending rock-climbing walls, rollerblading, and ice skating on board their ships. The commercials direct people to the Royal Caribbean website, where they can experience a virtual cruise, including parasailing, sea kayaking and dogsledding.
Presented annually since 1968, the EFFIE Awards are the only awards of their kind to recognise the year's most effective advertising and marketing campaigns that meet and exceed the business objectives they were designed to achieve. Over 300 of America's top advertising and marketing executives review the campaigns submitted for award consideration in two rounds of judging, and select gold, silver and bronze winners in over 40 categories. Royal Caribbean's Gold EFFIE Award was presented in the Travel/ Tourism/ Destinations category, which covers cruises, hotels, resorts, amusement parks, recreational activity and travel tours.
Winning campaigns need to combine all the disciplines that enter a successful marketing programme: planning, market research, media, creative and account management. EFFIE winners also demonstrate a partnership between agency and client in creation, management, and building of a brand. EFFIE Award competitions are held in the United States and 20 countries throughout Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific rim. EFFIE stands for 'effectiveness in advertising'.
