Anchoring in Ultra-Luxury: The landmark partnership bringing Scenic Eclipse II to Sydney Harbour
On Friday, April 19 2024, Scenic Eclipse II, one of The World’s First Discovery Yachts, sailed into Sydney Harbour.
This marked a significant milestone for Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours which was founded in Australia: the first time in their 38-year history that one of their ships has graced Australian waters. But the excitement didn't start there.
A year earlier, Scenic Eclipse featured in a ten-episode docuseries, Maritime Masters: Expedition Antarctica. Filmed by the Warners Bros. Discovery Channel on the ship, it followed Scenic's world-class crew through the most remote destinations on Earth.
In collaboration with Thump Media, Nine was entrusted by Scenic to deliver a full-funnel, integrated campaign that would bring the Scenic Eclipse II arrival to the Australian market with maximum impact and brand exposure, tied in with the storytelling of their Maritime Masters docuseries.
Key objectives:
1. Boost consideration and sales conversion amongst the 45+ demographic in Australia.
2. Target ultra-high net worth individuals with a high propensity to travel.
3. Leverage Scenic’s 15+ year partnership with Nine’s TODAY and Getaway programs.
Delivering integrated, cross-platform exposure to the event
Leveraging the cross-platform ecosystem, Nine were able to position the Scenic Eclipse II front and centre of the editorial cycle across television, digital, print & radio.
Addressed brand consideration and mass awareness using Scenic’s longstanding partnerships with Getaway and TODAY.
Radio 2GB and The Sydney Morning Herald targeted Sydneysiders and 45+ travel intenders, while The Australian Financial Review targeted ultra-high net worth audiences through digital, print, and bespoke event integrations.
A Comprehensive Execution
Planning for the campaign began in November 2022, involving several key phases;
PHASE 1
12 months from arrival and the launch of Maritime Masters
PHASE 2
6 months from arrival
PHASE 3
6 weeks from arrival
PHASE 4
Arrival day
From 12 to six months prior to arrival, Getaway featured episodes of the Scenic Eclipse sailing around Scotland and Antarctica, setting the stage for its anticipated arrival in Australia. Across Nine’s Digital platforms, targeted display ads directed viewers to Scenic’s website with creative messaging to build hype that “Ultra-luxury cruising is coming to Australia”.
Nine's Publishing delivered a media-first wrap of the AFR Life & Leisure Luxury Cruise gloss edition, plus bespoke event integration within the inaugural AFR About Time Watch Fair, placing Scenic brochures into the hands of affluent attendees and giving guests an exclusive taste of onboard dining with a cocktail offering.
Six weeks before the arrival, TODAY launched dedicated Scenic-branded segments and billboards. Hosts conducted live weather updates onboard Scenic Eclipse II, giving Australian viewers an exclusive look at the ship’s six-star facilities, plus interviews with Scenic crew and their 'Maritime Masters'. The reach extended across social channels, with branded segments and interviews shared on TODAY’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. All the TODAY promotion linked to the "Ultimate Cruise Giveaway", a competition offering a chance to win a Kimberley cruise valued at over $80,000. 2GB joined in with a cruise giveaway, live reads, recorded commercials, and on-air interviews with Scenic’s 'Maritime Masters'.
Arrival day was championed by live outside broadcasts of TODAY and 2GB onboard, exclusive Getaway interviews with the 'Masters' and high-impact digital takeovers of the SMH and AFR. The day culminated in an evening event onboard, in collaboration with the AFR, targeting ultra-high net worth individuals. Guests enjoyed a tour of the 6-star Discovery Yacht, a seven-course menu, and exclusive speeches from Scenic's executive team, VP Oceans Hotel Operations and 'Master', Chef Tom Goetter, interviewed by AFR's Jill Dupleix.
Voyage to Victory: Exceptional results delivering extensive media coverage and capturing new customers
The Scenic Eclipse II arrival campaign not only delivered on all objectives but soared beyond expectations.
- 86.8% Sign up Rate: The 2GB activity reached over 507,000 people and the cruise giveaway received strong engagement with over 86% opt-in rate, with the Total Audio campaign delivering +321% ROI against paid media.
- Up to 0.24% CTR: Across high impact Digital executions, total impressions over delivered by more than 1 million+ reaching a CTR of up to 0.24%.
- Top 5 Consumer Promotion: The TODAY competition generated over 42,000 entries and delivered within the top five most successful consumer promotions in the program’s history.
- +$700K Added Value: The Broadcast coverage on TODAY reached a daily national audience of 214,000 and delivered over $700,000AUD of incidental broadcast exposure as added value.
Source: 2GB and TODAY Campaign Analytics 2024
Contact us for more information on how your brand can leverage the power of Nine to deliver real business outcomes.
