Remember when Webjet launched that controversial TVC back in January that was deemed offensive and slanderous to Agents?
It portrayed them as withholding and lazy, and while it only ran for 32 seconds, it was enough to rile up and disappoint industry professionals.
Things may have smoothed over if the company hadn’t noticed the attention it generated (2.7 million views on Youtube and it’s set to unlisted) and decided to go for round two in July with a second TVC.
This time, the ad, which implied Agents were one step behind with “out of date” fares, didn’t receive as much traction compared to the first, but it did trigger a movement in the industry.
Consultants and their allies decided it was time to clap back by emphasising the convenience of booking in person.
roomsXML was the first to step up to the online company. Check out the video created by the hotel distributor here, which can be customised for specific Agents upon request.
Now, itravel’s Head of Strategic Partnership, Kim Wudko, has turned her “disappointment” into positive action (and exhausted her credit card in the process) by producing her own 44-second advertisement for consultants.
Speaking to KarryOn, Wudko said initially she was as “raged as other Agents” and felt disappointed when she realised “nobody was taking any action”.
“I could see nothing was happening, not with AFTA and nobody was taking action.”
Kim Wudko, itravel Head of Strategic Partnership
“So I thought I’d fund something and do something on my own back.”
In comes the ‘Travel Agents Do Travel’ advertisement, which adopts a similar structure to the second Webjet TVC.
A couple (yes the woman should look familiar, it’s TravelManagers’ Michelle Michael-Pecora showing off her acting skills), is seen discussing an upcoming holiday to Europe.
The husband is overwhelmed by all the options, conditions and fees of booking online, while the wife feels quite content after having coffee with her Travel Agent who organised the pair’s “whole holiday on the spot”.
“Flights, tours, hotels, transfers, insurance, absolutely everything.”
It then closes with the tagline ‘Travel Agents do travel, you just need to do coffee”.
Wudko said the ad isn’t about “the empire striking back”, but about “highlighting the knowledge and experience a Travel Agent provides”.
Although she doesn’t have the funds to advertise the clip on national TV, she hopes the sharing efforts of other Agents, industry professionals and customers will help build up enough views to make the video viral.
“Looking at my Facebook page, it has been shared a hell of a lot,” she said.
“It’s out there and I think more of the Agents I’ve got on my Facebook have shared it with their Facebook friends and with their clients as well.”
Check out the clip below or click here to join the conversation on Wudko’s new Agent sharing site, Open Jaw.
