Campaigns We Love
January. Peak booking season. The TV ad slots are expensive, the competition is fierce, and every brand is fighting for attention in living rooms across the country.
But some campaigns rise above the noise. Not because they shout louder, but because they understand something fundamental: people don't book holidays, they book feelings.
This month, the Llama herd has been watching what's landing on screens during peaks—and four campaigns stood out. Not for their budgets or their celebrity endorsements, but for their craft. Each one understands its audience, trusts its creative instinct, and refuses to follow the same tired playbook.
Here's what caught our attention.
The New Center Parcs Ad Just Works
By Andrew Shelton
Center Parcs really nailed it with their latest "Bubbles" ad. Instead of the usual frantic holiday commercial full of kids screaming and bright colors, they went for something calm, cool, and actually beautiful to look at.
The metaphor of the "family bubble" is spot on. We all know that feeling of being caught up in the daily grind, and this ad shows the holiday as a literal shield from the outside world. It’s a smart move—they aren’t just selling you a lodge in the woods; they’re selling you peace and quiet. By putting the experience front and center with that cinematic, contemporary vibe, they’ve made the brand feel a bit more premium. It’s a bold way of saying, "Sure, you could go anywhere, but you won't get this specific feeling anywhere else." It’s rare to see a travel ad that feels this authentic and targeted. It doesn’t feel like it’s shouting at you; it feels like it’s inviting you to take a breath.
Honestly It’s just great storytelling
Taken to the Emirates’ latest TV ad.
By Lisa Edwards-Webb
Within their “Fly Better” integrated campaign. I love how the story reinforces the importance of the flight, and the joy of flying. An extension of the holiday… or possibly even the best bit!
It rings of celebrating the nostalgia and glamour of travel which is elegantly delivered and supported by classy models and a fabulous 1950s inspired wardrobe. For me, it plays to how I want to feel when I’m travelling, and properly romanticises the whole experience. A really neat delivery of emotional connection with the brand.
Granted, it’s all set around their premium business class product, which some may find a bit exclusive and marmitey. But for me, it’s everything I want an airline to be, and neatly puts the brand on a pedestal so I come away feeling whichever cabin I’m in, I’ll still be taking the best choice in the skies and flying better.
As a final thought, it’s refreshing to see the brand relax a bit, injecting a little dose of wry humour woven throughout. Notably, the last to disembark the plane moment, I thought was super clever, and gives a subtle nod to not only the overall product but the great entertainment options on board too.
Good job Emirates, I look forward to the next instalment!
Virgin Atlantic- See the World Differently
By Rachel McCaffrey
Missing those brief few years when we could still fast forward them, I’m not the biggest fan of ads, but I absolutely loved Virgin Atlantic’s latest version of See the World Differently. It works for me because in a joyful and uplifting way, it evolves the airline’s long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion.
While other brands are quietly retreating on the issue, Virgin have shifted from the overt symbolism of the airborne ‘super-inclusive’ brand identity showcased previously into something more down to earth and textured. Without preaching, it presents elements of social sustainability, (engaging respectfully with places and people), as an integral part of a great trip, not an optional add-on. Difference is woven in throughout the ad and subtly emphasised as a benefit of travel. Starring a sharp dressed older traveller using local buses, eating local food and engaging beyond resort walls, it normalises inclusion and human connection as aspirational rather than performative. In doing so, it also quietly reframes air travel as a force for cultural exchange, positioning interaction with local people as a joyful but key aspect of travel, at a time when mutual understanding across cultures arguably matters more than ever.
Eurocamp- Opens the Door to more
By Phil Bloomfield
Not a moment is wasted in Eurocamp's new ad, and you really can't ask for more from a spot than that. The concept is a clever one, showing how via a 'magic portal' doorway from one of its stylish Ultimate Plus holiday homes a Eurocamp holiday is the gateway to a lot more than you might expect - from beaches to city sightseeing - while at the same time heroing the many on-parc KSPs that make a Eurocamp holiday such a great option for families - from waterparks to bike rides. Far from preconceived notions of what a 'camping' holiday might be, the viewer is left with no doubt that on a Eurocamp holiday, the possibilities are endless. Rapid editing, primary colours, an uptempo soundtrack, and plenty of positive energy from the 'family' on show, the team that put this together know exactly what their customer wants to see. Good work Eurocampers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvM1Vjh9Y38
Four very different campaigns. Four very different approaches. But they all share something in common: they know who they're talking to, and they trust their audience to understand nuance.
In a peaks season where everyone's spending big to capture attention, these are the ones that earned it.
