In a category where luxury travel brands often mirror each other in tone, imagery and messaging, Scenic Group knew it needed to do something different. Alongside its agency, Thump Media and News Corp Australia, the brand set out to challenge what a cruise campaign could look like, placing long-form storytelling, premium content and strategic media precision at its centre.
The campaign was also a headline case study in Frontiers, News Australia’s national agency engagement program, which wraps up this week with independent agencies in Queensland. Thump, a NSW-based indie agency, featured prominently in the program alongside Scenic, with the work showcased to agencies across NSW, VIC, SA and now QLD.
As outlined in Frontiers, brands looking to break free from the “Sea of Sameness” must lean into three key strategic pillars to stand out and drive impact:
- Positive Influence – leveraging trust and credibility
- Creativity & Storytelling – emotionally rich and memorable messaging
- Relevance – reaching the right people, in the right context, at the right time
Scenic’s campaign, built around these principles, brought the theory to life in market.
Speaking exclusively to B&T, Thump Media managing director Chris Franke unpacked the thinking behind the campaign and why Scenic was the ideal partner to push boundaries.
With a clear brief to move beyond the standard formula of travel advertising, Thump and Scenic leaned into editorial-style storytelling and immersive media experiences to carve out a more distinctive position in a saturated market.
“At times, it feels like everyone is targeting the same audience in the same way, which creates this sea of sameness,” he said. “Our challenge was to break through that clutter and find a way to communicate the premium inclusions across Scenic and Emerald’s fleet of river cruising ships in a way that truly resonated with the audience.”
Scenic, he said, wasn’t just open to doing things differently, they were fully committed. “We had a really willing client, one that invests heavily in their own brand story, in the quality of that story, and in the content they’re able to create and provide”.
Beyond Spots and Dots: The Push for Better Content
Traditionally, travel brands have relied heavily on television and digital “spots and dots” – short-form advertising focused on reach and frequency. But Thump and Scenic saw an opportunity to do more.
“Spots and dots are tried and tested and they work, but they’re really heavily relied upon,” Franke said. “We wanted to create a whole bunch of curated content that would effectively engage and tell stories about the enriching experiences and luxury experiences that we could deliver across these river yachts”.
To do that, they needed the right partner, one that could deliver both high-quality content and advanced media targeting. “We wanted quality content, and lots of it, so News was a perfect partner in that regard.”
Escape.com.au as a Content Platform
One of the centrepieces of the campaign was a bespoke Scenic and Emerald content hub built within Escape.com.au, News Corp’s flagship travel brand. This wasn’t just a convenient location, it was a strategic choice.
“Escape.com.au is a premier platform for travel audiences, and we know that,” he said. “News has historically invested heavily in building a high-value, highly engaged audience through the site.”
Importantly, the team also looked beyond the website to build a broader media ecosystem for the campaign.
“We were able to amplify the content across other channels by tapping into strong data signals from News Corp’s first-party data,” he said. “That also allowed us to extend the storytelling into their print products, giving us a well-rounded, multi-channel approach to the campaign.”
To bring the product to life in an authentic and immersive way, Escape journalist Kirrily Schwarz was sent on a multi-week Scenic and Emerald voyage. Rather than a quick press trip, it was a true editorial embed.
“She spent a lot of time really understanding Scenic’s brand story, understanding how they wanted to speak to the customer, how they wanted to convey their brand message”.
“Unlike a typical famil where you try to cram everything in, this was completely different,” Franke said. “It was a long-term investment between a client who understood the value of News’s audience and a media partner genuinely committed to understanding how Scenic wanted to tell its story”.
From Content to Conversion
While content sat at the heart of the campaign, what elevated it was the strategic placement and amplification across the News Australia network, including both digital and print.
“The client also provided a high level of supporting assets, high-quality video, imagery, and content,” he said. “We were able to build on that by combining strong written storytelling with powerful visuals to really reinforce the campaign’s message.”
Performance and targeting were just as important as the creative itself. “Content is great, but if no one’s reading it, that’s a big challenge,” he said. “That’s why strong amplification tactics, solid traffic drivers, and clear performance benchmarks were so important and News Corp absolutely delivered on all of those fronts.”
News’ advanced segmentation tools, such as Intent Connect and Content Connect, allowed Thump and Scenic to ensure the right audiences were not only reached but engaged meaningfully.
“News Corp is really at the forefront of understanding what types of content drive higher engagement,” he said. “They know how to follow the customer journey and build on that engagement to deliver something genuinely compelling”.
Results That Moved the Needle
The campaign’s impact was undeniable, with results exceeding expectations across every stage of the funnel. From awareness to action, the Scenic and Thump Media collaboration delivered a compelling proof point for the power of well-crafted storytelling paired with media precision.
“Consideration was a key KPI and obviously driving through to conversion,” Franke said.
And those consideration gains were substantial. The campaign drove a 127% lift in action and achieved three times higher consideration than industry benchmarks. More notably, it influenced long-term behaviour — with three in four potential river cruise bookers now likely to choose Scenic as a result of the campaign.
While exact conversion figures remained confidential, Franke pointed to the campaign’s structure and strategic approach as central to its success.
“I think it comes back to the quality of the content… a deep understanding of Scenic’s product… really clear performance benchmarks”.
The Scenic campaign didn’t just meet expectations, it reshaped them. By combining strategic media integration, audience-led targeting, and rich editorial content, Thump Media and News Corp Australia helped Scenic cut through a cluttered category with authenticity and impact.
