• - First Choice’s soundtrack Flo Rida’s Good Feeling at Number 1
• - Thomson’s TOY soundtrack released as single and Number 1 on influential hit predictor Hype Machine
• - First Choice and Thomson experience busiest day ever for bookings
• - 43% increase in YOY traffic to First Choice website in the last week
• - Thomson website receives most visitors ever in the last week

TUI UK & Ireland has experienced its busiest ever day of website bookings for Thomson and First Choice, helped by the chart topping music used in its new turn of year TV brand campaigns.

The First Choice ad, clearly positioning it as The Home of All Inclusive holidays, features the upbeat current Number 1 single Good Feeling by Flo Rida – which has been in the charts for the past eight weeks. Since the ad broke, there has been a staggering 43% increase in website traffic in the last week year on year – 1.08m unique visits were made between 2nd and 8th January. Brits have clearly welcomed First Choice’s decision to become the first mainstream holiday company to offer 100% of its hotel and resorts on an all inclusive basis.

The ground breaking Thomson quality time ad, which launched in October and represented a bold move in an industry that traditionally kicks off its campaign in the turn of year period, features the rousing arrangement of Pixies track Where is my mind?  Due to popular demand the song has been released as a single by artist Sunday Girl – hailed as the one to watch in 2012.  Thomson’s website last week had a year on year increase of 14% – making it the number one visited travel agency site*.

Jeremy Ellis, Marketing Director at TUI UK & Ireland, comments:

“We are delighted with the impact the music has had and these great results.  We always like to lead the way and have been overwhelmed by the response to the music in both our ads.  For too long mainstream holiday brands have lacked any differentiation, so consumers end up choosing on price. Holidays are a very emotional purchase, so we see a huge opportunity to put real meaning into both Thomson and First Choice, and drive value through distinct propositions serving different customer segments.  The music reflects this.

For First Choice it has been about conveying the feel good factor of going on an All Inclusive holiday with us, knowing that it offers real value as everything has been included in the price.  For Thomson it is about highlighting how quality time with loved ones on holiday is the most precious time of all.”

ENDS

Note to editors

*According to Experian Hitwise – w/e 7 January 2012

The First Choice ad broke on 19 December 2011.

The Thomson ad broke on 22 October 2011. To see the official music video visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m–lZP1c28g