If you’ve ever watched a group trip die in the group chat, KAYAK has a message for that one friend who never commits. The travel platform has teamed with lead agency Rethink to launch “Bookboards,” an interactive campaign that publicly nudges travel procrastinators by putting personalized booking reminders on digital billboards across New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
The idea stems from new KAYAK research showing that 84% of travelers have had a group trip stall before anyone booked a ticket, while 90% say one noncommittal friend is usually to blame. According to the study, those abandoned travel plans linger in group chats for an average of one to three months before fading away.
The campaign invites travelers to nominate their flaky friend at kayak.com/bookboards through Aug. 4. Selected nominees will find themselves featured on digital billboards appearing near their offices and neighborhoods throughout August, transforming ignored text messages into reminders that are much harder to dismiss.
Supporting the activation is a 74-second hero film starring actress, comedian and content creator Grace Reiter alongside her real-life friend and American High co-star Julia Dicesare. The spot follows Grace as increasingly absurd “Bookboards” pursue her everywhere, from Times Square and bus stops to latte foam and even a barking dog, before revealing she’s the group’s serial trip procrastinator. Watch below:
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The campaign extends across online video, out-of-home, social media, earned media and a dedicated landing page. “‘Bookboards’ started with a simple insight: ignoring a message in a group chat is easy, but ignoring a personalized billboard is a lot harder,” said Tara Lawall, CCO of Rethink New York. “We loved the idea of turning digital procrastination into a real-world experience that people could participate in.”
Carolina Montenegro, SVP of Global Brand Marketing at KAYAK, said the campaign taps into one of travel’s most universal frustrations. “Group trips often stall for one simple reason: everyone is waiting on that one friend to commit,” she said. “‘Bookboards’ brings that group chat dynamic into the real world in a way that’s playful, relatable and hopefully gives people the nudge they need to finally hit ‘book.'”
