Challenges and Objectives

Hurtigruten have been a hallmark of the Norwegian coast since their first ship set sail in 1893. Today, they take voyagers to the Arctic and Antarctica, and many destinations in between.

When Covid hit, Hurtigruten were faced with many unforeseen challenges. Their core audience were less likely than most to travel during a period of great uncertainty, and their competitors were primed to steal share amid the disruption as they operated both specialist and expedition cruises.

Hurtigruten were looking for a media partner who could provide mass reach among their audience in order to create standout in an increasingly challenging market, and ultimately spark and recapture demand.

Ideas and Implementation

ITV was identified as the perfect platform for providing both unrivalled reach among the core audience and the premium programming that would boost the brand’s credibility, helping to deliver on their commercial objectives.

They targeted key programming that performed well for their core demographic and would give them the scale needed to achieve their ambitions. A selection that included key ITV dramas, current affairs and news, put the brand front of mind and broadened reach among potential customers.

This strategy was complemented by targeting more contextually relevant genres such as travel and cooking, appearing in environments alongside Joanna Lumley (who provided the voice-over for their advert), Gino D’Acampo, Raymond Blanc and many other TV personalities that held a key influence among their core audience.

With the support of ITV’s Backing Business initiative Hurtigruten were able to ensure they maximised the campaign’s impact, striking a balance between niche and wider-reaching programming to deliver optimum scale and efficient frequency.