Orient-Express to Launch 'A Journey Like No Other' Eye-Catching and Original Digital Brand Awareness Campaign

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Orient-Express, the iconic name uniting a collection of 49 internationally renowned luxury hotel, river cruise and rail experiences across 24 countries, will be bringing its world to life in the United States from September 19th with a pilot digital awareness campaign.  

The eight week brand recognition campaign will introduce the enticing experiences to be found at selected properties using rich media placed on a variety of lifestyle and travel websites.  These will link to a microsite, orient-express.com/ajourneylikenoother, where nine short films following the travel experiences of an eclectic and engaging cast of fictional characters and real life staff members will live.  

Properties selected from within the diverse portfolio to showcase the Orient-Express hallmarks of authenticity and character are a romantic journey from Paris to Venice on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train, a celebratory visit to Hotel Cipriani in Venice, a vacation at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, and a trip to Cuzco, Peru, to explore the delights of Hotel Monasterio, Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, and the Hiram Bingham train.

"A large proportion of our customer base comes from the US, which is why we are choosing to test this campaign here," said Orient-Express' Chief Marketing Officer, David Williams.  "Whilst many of our properties, such as '21' in New York, the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town and Maroma Resort & Spa in Mexico, are well known in their own right, through this campaign we want to raise awareness of the name behind these properties with customers both present and future.  Each Orient-Express property has personality, character, a certain class and style.  They inspire creativity and connect our guests with the culture and lifestyle of the destination.  These curated films bring that world to life."

Conceived by one of New York's finest creative agencies, Chandelier Creative, and utilizing advertising placements by Criterion Global, the videos have been produced by Swedish film-maker, Kalle Gustafsson, who is renowned for the style and class he brings to his fashion photography and work with luxury brands.  The Orient-Express films are artistically graded and set to commissioned music.

Chandelier's creative director, Richard Christiansen, said, "Orient-Express' authentic travel experiences go beyond the generic 'luxury' tagline and take their guests on a journey of discovery, so our concept engages this audience and piques curiosity.  We are identifying luxury consumers through targeted placements and then exposing those users to video heavy 'rich media' showcasing experiential brand cues rather than simply bookable functionality.  This is what defines the campaign in contrast to the mindset of many travel advertisers."

This awareness advertising campaign is the latest activity in a rebranding strategy by Orient-Express.  Orient-Express is currently ranked first in its competitive set of 12 global luxury hospitality brands in the areas of service and emotional intelligence by Leading Quality Assurance.

About Orient-Express:

Orient-Express, (NYSE: OEH, www.orient-express.com) the name behind an elite collection of travel experiences, first came into being in 1883 as one of the world's most exciting and indulgent train journeys.  Today that evocative name also embraces hotels, cruises and other luxury rail adventures in 24 countries, across five continents.  The Company has offered exceptional luxury travel experiences since 1976, when it first purchased Hotel Cipriani in Venice and then shortly afterwards, recreated the celebrated Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, linking London, Paris and Venice, along with other European cities.  Today, the company owns or part-owns and manages 49 businesses, 40 of which are highly acclaimed hotels, each unique in style, from the Mount Nelson in Cape Town and Rio's Copacabana Palace, to the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg and Maroma Resort & Spa on Mexico's Riviera Maya.  There are six luxury tourist trains, two river cruise operations and '21', one of New York's most iconic restaurants.  

About Chandelier Creative:

Chandelier Creative, founded in 2005 by Richard Christiansen, is a full-service creative agency based in New York City.  With a diversified global roster of clients from the worlds of fashion, beauty, retail, travel and luxury lifestyle, the agency is dedicated to enhancing brand awareness for its distinctive client portfolio.  Chandelier Creative is a unique destination for print, digital and broadcast advertising, marketing, branding, web design/development and non-traditional content. For more information please visit www.chandeliercreative.com

About Criterion Global:

Criterion Global is an award-winning international marketing and media planning consultancy specializing in response-driven media buying. Criterion Global works with travel/hospitality, destination marketing, consumer lifestyle brands and specialty initiatives worldwide to grow and reposition brands through the strategic use of media. 

SOURCE Orient-Express