The challenge
In Spring 2021, Marriott Bonvoy needed to inspire people to return to travel. The instinct was to do what travel campaigns always do: aspirational destinations, polished visuals, familiar voices. The brief called for something different.
The insight
Post-pandemic travelers were rejecting traditional hotspots and selfie-trap destinations in favor of authentic, transformative experiences with positive real-world impact. That shift demanded a new kind of storyteller.
The strategy
An inclusive storytelling campaign celebrating regenerative travel, centered on diverse real voices rather than typical travel influencers. An open casting call would surface three storytellers whose journeys demonstrated travel's potential for positive impact: supporting economic recovery in the Rust Belt, respecting Indigenous lands in the Southwest and helping restore Florida's coral reefs.
Strategic innovation
The Regeneration of Travel was The Washington Post's first TikTok branded content partnership, creating a new revenue stream and establishing a playbook for social-first branded storytelling at The Post.
What we made
Open Casting Call: The Search for the Next Great Travel Storyteller
An open call for storytellers whose journeys demonstrated travel's potential for positive impact.
Immersive Articles
Three immersive features following the selected storytellers across the country.
TikTok Series: How has travel changed you?
Three travel creators answer the question directly to camera.
Performance
87M
Impressions
3M
TikTok views
3:22
Average time spent on each article
86%
Felt inspired to travel again
90%
Planned to book a Marriott stay
75%
Agreed Marriott Bonvoy shared their values
Recognition
- 2021 Native Advertising Awards Gold, Best Native Advertising Program B2C
- 2022 Webby Award Honoree, Advertising Media and PR, Tourism and Leisure
- 2022 Shorty Impact Awards Audience Honor, Branded Content
