Travelocity Names Campbell Ewald AOR

By Erik Oster 

Travelocity named Campbell Ewald as its agency of record, concluding a review launched early this summer. Executives from the company flew to Detroit, with Roaming Gnome in hand, to break the news to the agency, which will take over for McKinney, who had held the account off and on for over a decade.

They called and wanted to inform the agency in person, so the leadership of Travelocity flew here,” explained Campbell Ewald CEO Jim Palmer. “We put together a luncheon under a fake reason and they showed up and delivered the gnome in person before addressing our agency. It was the first time I’ve ever experienced such a thing in my career.”

Palmer told Adweek he still doesn’t know which agencies Campbell Ewald beat out to win the review, stating, “We knew we had some competitors but they did [not] share them and we did not ask.”

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Campbell Ewald will be tasked with a range of duties, including creative and production, to create an “integrated brand experience” for Travelocity. Creative will be lead by executive creative director Jo Shoesmith, who joined the agency in August.

The trademark Roaming Gnome will continue to be a part of the brand’s advertising, with new work expected from Campbell Ewald as early as later this year. Travelocity spent around $29 million in measured media in 2014 according to Kantar Media.

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