HomeAway Provides Sneak Peek at Secret Government Agency

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Facing reports that Wiki-Peeks.org (no relation to WikiLeaks ) was about to release details of a new secret government agency, HomeAway, Inc. – the world's leading online vacation rental marketplace – today revealed its involvement in the formation of the "Ministry of Detourism," an organization working to save family vacations.

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(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101215/MM16960 )

"For too long, people have been unable to fully enjoy spending time with their friends and family while on vacation because they are forced to spend a lot of money only to be crammed together in a small hotel room," says Brian Sharples, chief executive officer of HomeAway®.  "To help save family vacations, we joined forces with a new government agency – the Ministry of Detourism.  Its sole purpose is to let travelers know they can leave behind cookie-cutter travel experiences like hotels for the space, privacy and freedom of vacation rentals."

HomeAway will disclose additional details about this secret government agency when it launches a new, humorous campaign on Feb. 6, 2011 with a 30-second spot in the third quarter broadcast of Super Bowl XLV on the FOX television network.  

The campaign's key message is "Why hotel when you can HomeAway."

"Taking a vacation should be about taking advantage of the local flavor of a destination and staying in a spacious home with your family where you can truly live like a local," says Sharples.  

The campaign, developed by Austin, Texas-based ad agency Vendor Inc., will be supported with digital media, social media and an interactive experience with a strong video sharing component on HomeAway.com. For more information, visit the Ministry of Detourism and HomeAway on YouTube and Facebook.

About HomeAway, Inc.

HomeAway, Inc., based in Austin, Texas, is the worldwide leader in online vacation rentals, representing more than 540,000 paid vacation rental home listings throughout 120 countries. HomeAway offers an extensive selection of vacation homes that provide travelers with memorable experiences and benefits, including more room to relax and added privacy, for less than the cost of traditional hotel accommodations. The company also makes it easy for vacation rental owners and property managers to advertise their properties and manage bookings online. The HomeAway portfolio includes the leading vacation rental websites HomeAway.com, VRBO.com and VacationRentals.com in the United States; HomeAway.co.uk and OwnersDirect.co.uk in the United Kingdom; HomeAway.de in Germany; Abritel.fr and Homelidays.com in France; HomeAway.es in Spain; and AlugueTemporada.com.br in Brazil.

In addition, HomeAway operates BedandBreakfast.com, the most comprehensive global site for finding bed-and-breakfast properties, providing travelers with another source for unique lodging alternatives to chain hotels. For more information about HomeAway, please visit www.HomeAway.com.

About Vendor Inc.

Vendor Inc., an independent, full-service advertising and marketing agency, was opened in Austin, Texas to harness the convergence of creativity, technology and attitude the city embodies.  Refusing to be pigeonholed as a digital, traditional or any other type of platform-based agency, Vendor Inc. enables clients to VEER from conventional approaches and to BELONG to the communities of people they wish to reach.  Vendor Inc. was founded in 2009 by partners Clark Evans, James Martin, Jeff Nixon and Joe Shands; who have created award-winning campaigns at some of the country's most revered agencies.  Their work has helped build some of today's best-known and most successful global brands.  For more information visit www.vendorinc.com

SOURCE HomeAway