• by Tanya Gazdik , February 23, 2015

HomeAway is introducing a new brand platform and a global integrated marketing campaign that focuses on “a whole vacation” for the entire family – including four-legged furry members.

The company, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, seeks to show the way vacation rentals create a more memorable vacation. Traveling with “the whole family” and staying together in “the whole house” are the core benefits upon which the vacation rental category are built, says HomeAway Chief Marketing Officer Mariano Dima.

Families and groups are the heart of vacation rental travel, and according to the U.S. Census, only 19% of families are considered “traditional” today, Dima says.

“The changing dynamics of families greatly influenced HomeAway's new global campaign and platform,” Dima tells Marketing Daily. “Modern families are used in the creative and are the target of the campaign. Our goal is to showcase the various definitions of 'family' while capturing the special moments of togetherness enabled by vacation homes, both of which are essential to having a whole vacation.”

Dima, who joined the company in September, developed the campaign with Saatchi & Saatchi in London and the brand platform with Landor in Paris and New York.

The campaign includes the core message of “The whole house. The whole family. A whole vacation.” Creative launches globally March 16 and includes digital, social and TV. ZenithOptimedia handled the media planning and buying.

Digital imagery features five scenes from various HomeAway properties, demonstrating both modern families and the excitement and experiences that can only take place when the group is together in a vacation rental. It will be used in advertisements and is currently live on HomeAway’s Web site and social channels. Travelers can follow the campaign on social media using #WholeVacation.

The 360-degree vacation imagery captures the entire experience and is animated in some executions; for example, changing from day to night based on the web user’s mouse position.

Two 30-second TV spots tell the two halves of a whole story of a young girl, Emma, who feels incomplete when her dog, Biscuit, isn’t brought on the family vacation. The first ad is told from the perspective of Emma, whose family travels to an incredible HomeAway property. The second follows Biscuit’s epic journey to reunite with Emma.

“Our new campaign is focused on the incredible memories and moments travelers can create when they stay together at a vacation rental­ that is similar to our past marketing, but it is something we know really resonates with all travelers,” Dima says.

It's different, however, because the new brand platform, "The whole house. The whole family. A whole vacation." communicates the functional benefits of having the whole house as a unique space to reconnect with loved ones.

“The creative stands out from other travel companies because of its heart, humor and, for online and print, unique 360-degree style of photography,” Dima says. “It delivers the whole story in one simple narrative.”

The campaign also extends beyond traditional media by asking online influencers to explore topics surrounding the platform. For example, rapper and activist Prince Ea will create his own online film examining the “whole vs. half vacation” conundrum and share it with his millions of YouTube and Facebook subscribers.