KAYAK: Don’t do it yourself

Did you know that Kayak boasts a massive 30 million monthly users? This impressive statistic speaks volumes about the success of their marketing campaigns, including this quirky, engaging video that managed to cleverly blend humour and functionality to boost brand awareness and promote their core service.

OBJECTIVES

• Increase Brand Awareness: The unique and memorable approach aims to solidify Kayak’s presence in the minds of viewers.
• Highlight Core Functionality: The advertisement effectively demonstrates Kayak’s ability to simplify travel searches.
• Drive Traffic to the Platform: By showcasing the ease and efficiency of using Kayak, the video encourages viewers to visit the website or app.
• Target a Broad Audience: The humorous and relatable scenario appeals to a wide range of travellers, not just a specific niche.

THE HOOK

This video utilises several layers to its hook, which, rather than solely relying on the initial seconds, is built up over the initial few seconds in order to engage and maintain the attention of the viewer:

• Initial Curiosity: The opening scene with the woman in the barn creates a sense of intrigue. Viewers are left wondering what’s about to happen.
• Humorous Juxtaposition: The contrast between the mundane setting and the woman’s unexpected actions adds a touch of absurdity and catches the viewer off guard, peaking their interest as to where the advert is going.
• Relatability: The woman’s initial frustration with searching for travel deals resonates with viewers who’ve experienced similar struggles. The advert is connecting to the average person. It’s not glamourous or flashy. Just a simple relatable concept.
• Unexpected Twist: The transformation into a scarecrow is the ultimate hook, solidifying the viewer’s attention with its unexpected nature.

WHY IT WORKS

• Simplicity: The message is clear and concise: Kayak makes travel planning easy. The scarecrow metaphor, whilst unusual, perfectly conveys this idea.
• Humour: The comical nature of the video makes it entertaining and shareable, increasing its reach and impact. The scarecrow metaphor acts as the punchline to the joke, whilst being entirely relevant to the core message.
• Relatability: The initial struggle of searching for travel deals resonates with many viewers. The simplicity of the premise helps this be more relatable.
• Strong Visuals: The video is visually appealing, with engaging imagery and a dynamic pace that keeps viewers interested.
• Clear Call to Action: The ending clearly promotes Kayak’s service and tagline, “Search one and done,” encouraging viewers to try the platform.

TAKEAWAYS

• Don’t be afraid to be different: The video’s unusual approach helps it stand out from the crowd.
• Humour is powerful: Injecting humour into your marketing can make it more engaging and memorable.
• Keep it simple: A clear and concise message is more likely to resonate with viewers.
• Strong visuals matter: Investing in high-quality visuals can significantly enhance your video’s impact.

KEY ELEMENTS

• Introduction (hook): Woman in a barn, expressing frustration with comparing travel sites.
• Problem statement: The tediousness and inefficiency of searching multiple travel websites.
• Solution (product/service): Kayak, a platform that compares hundreds of travel sites at once.
• Benefits and features: Saves time and effort, allowing users to find the best deals quickly.
• Call to action (CTA): “Kayak. Search one and done.”

This video most closely follows the Problem-Agitate-Solution (PAS) framework. While elements of other frameworks are present, the core structure centres around identifying the problem, amplifying it with the scarecrow visual, and presenting Kayak as the straightforward solution.