Howatson+Co Unveils “Best Bits Can’t Be Planned” For Discovery Parks

Burning through the whole supply of marshmallows before dinner, tricking your brother into saucing a snag with chilli sauce, a fierce rock, paper, scissors contest to decide who gets the top bunk or pulling up at a site next to your old high school crush – these are the unplanned holiday moments that we can all connect with, and which inspire lifelong memories.

Its these authentic Aussie holiday experiences – the best bits, that can’t be planned – that form the basis for the latest brand campaign from the country’s largest holiday park operator, Discovery Parks, developed by Howatson+Company, with media buying undertaken by Carat and Discovery’s in-house digital agency.

Designed to challenge the curated holiday perfection that features prominently in conventional tourism marketing, the Discovery Parks campaign flips the script and instead aims to connect with audiences through shared and authentic experiences of perfect imperfection.

“From planning days of activities, to making sure the whole family is packed and ready to hit the road, we pour so much time and effort into the perfect holiday,” said G’day Group chief marketing officer Lahnee White.

“However, the reality is that the best holiday memories are made in those moments that we don’t plan. It’s the practical jokes, the awkward interactions and unexpected situations that aren’t always perfect, but these are the moments that matter to our customers and the stories we wanted to tell of authentic memories that are being made in Discovery Parks around Australia every day.

“In appointing Howatson+Co, we looked to them to disrupt the conventions of travel marketing and the concept of the idllyic family holiday where everything appears a little too perfect. They challenged us to take the campaign into new creative territory, telling our customers’ stories of perfectly imperfect moments and ensuring that Discovery Parks stands out distinctively in market.”

The campaign, which will be progressively rolled out nationally from today, is anchored by the tagline ‘the best bits can’t be planned’ and features four hero TVCs that will run across TV, BVOD and cinema.

The campaign will also feature across large format OOH, social and digital platforms and be supported by in park activations and competitions.

“It’s been an amazing partnership. ‘The best bits can’t be planned’ is a platform that delivers genuine delight and connects with the ideas of holidays we all know and love. Beyond the launch, it’s also a philosophy we can activate at our parks themselves,” Rebecca Robertson, managing partner at Howatson+Co said.

Credits:

Howatson+Co
Photoplay
John Laurie
Rumble Studios
Carat
Discovery in-house digital and brand team

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