P&O Cruises has unveiled a new brand platform, ‘Brings Us All Together’, marking a significant transformation for the 91-year-old company.
Developed in partnership with independent creative studio Supermassive, the new platform is a testament to the meaningful connections cultivated on a P&O holiday.
“P&O has long enjoyed unparalleled awareness, consideration, and preference in the Australian cruise market. ‘Brings Us All Together’ presents an exciting opportunity to further differentiate P&O across the cruise and travel landscape by welcoming new guests onboard our cruise ships who are searching for an authentic and connected holiday experience,” said Kathryn Robertson, chief commercial officer of P&O Cruises Australia.
Tasked with articulating what makes a P&O cruise such a special and unique experience, Supermassive highlighted the cruise line’s ability to deliver ideal conditions for quality time, connection, and togetherness, fostered through P&O’s welcoming and inclusive service and a range of onboard experiences designed to create meaningful and lasting memories.
To unveil the new platform, Supermassive engaged Cameron Bruce, musical supervisor on Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and member of the Paul Kelly Band, via Sonar, to create a new choral arrangement of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’. The re-imagined version was sung en masse by a 300-strong choir comprised of local singing groups, past guests, and brand fans while onboard the Pacific Encounter in November off the coast of Queensland. Directed by Justin McMillan, the live performance forms the heart of P&O’s new brand campaign which is live across TV, cinema, digital and social media as of today. The track will also be available on streaming platforms and integrated into all future “Sail Away” parties, which brings all guests together to celebrate the start of their voyage.
The project also saw Supermassive overhaul the brand’s visual and tonal identity across all paid, owned and earned channels, as well as onboard P&O ships. Designed in collaboration with Common Design, the new brand identity centres around the sweeping arches of the brand’s ampersand – a symbol of inclusivity and connectedness.
In addition to this, the team engaged the talents of Walkley Award-winning photographer David Maurice Smith, renowned for his impactful work featured on the covers of Time, Rolling Stone, and National Geographic. Smith’s captivating visuals will form the brand’s new large-scale out-of-home, print and digital campaign, showcasing connection in its rawest form.
“Sometimes, you have to search high and low for a brand truth, but with P&O, it hits you as soon as you get onboard. On land, rather ironically, we pass each other like ships in the night. But out there, on the only holiday experience that quite literally carries everyone in the same direction, guests find themselves open to connection like never before,” said Supermassive.
“We saw that magic happen in real time when we brought the world’s largest floating choir together on the deck of the Pacific Encounter. Families sang arm in arm, phone numbers got exchanged, people who boarded as strangers disembarked as mates”.
“What an exciting privilege it is to be able to explore new – and celebrate existing – ways that P&O brings us all together”.
“Like all great brand platforms, ‘Brings Us All Together’ is much more than a marketing tagline. It’ll inform our service proposition, onboard guest experience, and internal culture as it continues to build momentum across our business,” said Robertson.
CREDITS
Client: P&O Cruises
Agency: Supermassive
Production Company: Austin Studio
Director: Justin McMillan
Edit: Arc Edit
Post-Production: Blockhead
Musical Director: Cameron Bruce
Sound: Sonar Music
Photography: Flint
Design: Common Design
Media planning and buying: CHEP
Social: Bread
Performance: Yoghurt
