Shop to Brand Service ‘Across All Mediums’
LOS ANGELES–Think New Ideas has won the global account of Preview Travel, one of the leading online travel companies. The client’s total ad spending is expected to grow from around $5 million last year to over $10 million this year.
The shop’s Los Angeles office won the business from San Francisco incumbent Left Field without a formal review.
“Preview Travel is an example of the type of company that is changing how we live our lives,” said Larry Kopald, chief creative officer of Think. “They are making travel hassle-free.”
The agency will handle everything from traditional advertising and media buying to interactive marketing, said Kopald, who declined to comment on projected ad spending.
Jonathan Anastas, a vice president and account director who helped lead the agency’s winning pitch for the integrated account, said Think’s first work “will be heavily skewed toward traditional branding. Our goal is to build their brand across all mediums.” Anastas will head up the account.
Preview Travel president and chief executive Ken Orton said, “We selected Think as our strategic marketing partner because of its expertise and proven ability to integrate marketing, technology and creativity to focus and extend brands in the New Economy.”
With more than 6 million registered subscribers, the San Francisco-based Preview Travel competes against companies such as Travelocity and Expedia. Ad spending in the category increased roughly 40 percent in 1998, said industry sources.
According to industry groups, online leisure travel bookings are estimated to grow from $3 billion in 1998 to nearly $30 billion in 2003. Preview Travel’s gross bookings grew from $80 million in 1997 to more than $200 million in 1998.
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