Break Free Online Video

During the 2020 pandemic that shut down the world, the travel industry was hit hard. And cruising came to a halt. It was an unprecedented year that resulted in Norwegian Cruise Line taking all 17 ships out of operation globally and paralyzing market activity for 8 months from March to November 2020. During a time when the world was undergoing major societal shifts and consumer behavior was unpredictable, one thing was certain: Everyone around the world was feeling the same sense of anxiety and exhaustion from 2020.

Build back consumer confidence and re-introduce Norwegian on a mass scale to drive demand in the form of site visits, leads and future reservations.

Grounded in this universal truth of needing a break from a year of lockdowns, shutdowns, working from home and schooling from home, we tapped into this key consumer insight: The world needs a vacation. But what was once considered a luxury or a want was now a desired need. Norwegian’s brand promise of freedom was more relevant than ever. Because more than a vacation, it’s an opportunity to reset, recharge and come up for air.

“Break Free” was born, a new global brand campaign that launched prior to the 2020-2021 holiday season, during a time when pent-up travel demand was building, and no other cruise line was advertising. It was a strategy – and battle cry – that encouraged travelers around the world to look beyond the confines of 2020 and toward a future when we could all reconnect with the people and places we have missed.

From the moment “Break Free” begins, the tension and story start to build with slow, dramatic footage from a year we all wanted to forget. However, the mood, footage and narrative changes as “Break Free” comes to life in a captivating way, transitioning to what breaking free with Norwegian looks like, sounds like and feels like. A feeling of freedom that most of us have forgotten. Using Queen’s popular hit song “I Want to Break Free,” we showcased this energy, excitement and freedom we’ve all been longing for in an aspirational way – inviting consumers to “Break Free” by planning a future vacation with Norwegian.

Total Reach

35.8 Million Media Impressions

Includes global online coverage

Higher Share of Demand and Bookings YoY

Visits: +29%
Leads: +19%
Bookings: +31%

Launch Day Success

Visits: +73.3%
Leads: +38.2%
Reservations: +192.7%

November 18, 2020 versus 7-day average

Increased Traffic on NCL.com

Visits: +46%
Leads: +69%
Web Reservations: +179%

Compared to previous period (10/21/20-11/12/20)