This past Sunday evening during Super Bowl XLIX, Carnival Corporation unveiled a brand new marketing campaign dubbed, “Come Back To The Sea.”
The corporation wide marketing campaign launched with a one minute commercial featuring breathtaking shots of cruise ships plying through calm waters and shots of guests walking along sandy beaches or gazing at the beautiful water ahead. The backdrop of the commercial featured an ocean inspired speech originally delivered by the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. For one minute, viewers around the world were offered the chance to slow down and contemplate our relationship with the sea. For one full minute, we were urged to come back to the sea.
The commercial was instantly a huge success, racking up over a million views on YouTube within 4 days. The commercial essentially captured the true spirit of a cruise vacation in a beautiful and nontraditional manner. For years, commercials promoting cruising focused on the wild side of cruising or the high thrill adventures that await you. Carnival Corporation literally turned the tide. For the full minute, I found myself imagining I was standing along the railing of a Princess ship sailing through the Caribbean, gliding past a glacier with Holland America Line, and walking along the Lanai aboard a Carnival ship. In the back of my mind, I could hear the waves of the ocean accompanied by the inspiring phrase, “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.”
My favorite part of the “Come Back To The Sea” commercial? The lit fleet of Carnival Corporation ships sailing through the night, bringing thousands of guests back to the sea. If that image doesn’t convince you to book a cruise, I’m not sure what will.
