Hotwire.com‘s new national television advertising campaign, “Real People.
Real Travel. Real Cheap.” brings the brand to life with everyday people
and travel experiences representing the company’s core audience: anyone
whose first priority is saving money on travel.
Hotwire’s new 30-second ad, “Cheap Commercial,” is the first of a series
of new spots following real people on trips. The new spot begins airing
today as part of a national cable buy on stations including CNNfn, Comedy
Central, ESPN, FOX Sports, TBS, TNT, USA, VH-1, and the Weather Channel,
as well as spot buys in major markets.

The new campaign’s concept stays true to Hotwire’s commitment to
delivering deep discounts on travel by demonstrating the company’s
appreciation for the value of the dollar. With simple snapshots and
snippets of video captured with a cheap camera and set to music performed
by a raw (but rocking) garage band, the non-traditional, low-cost campaign
reveals true-life travel on the cheap.

“At Hotwire, we live the brand inside and out,” said Ty Shay, chief
marketing officer at Hotwire. “We’re all about giving people the lowest
prices on travel and the production and feel of this campaign reflect
that.”

The television ad launching today was created by McCann Erickson San
Francisco, Hotwire’s agency of record. The ad runs with Hotwire’s existing
tagline “Fly. Sleep. Drive. Cheap,” which was introduced in June 2003.

Kevin Moehlenkamp, executive vice president and co-chief creative officer,
McCann Erickson San Francisco, commented, “It’s not often you get to work
with a client who’s so sure and single minded about who they are and what
they do. Hotwire is consistently the cheapest way to travel—period. To
bring the brand to life we’ve had to embrace that same cheap way of
thinking. Our account team shot and starred in the spots and we edited
them in-house—truly a low-cost family affair.”
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