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“I believe people buy products that align with their core values,” says Celebrity Cruises CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. “And I’ve been watching and listening to what’s going on in the country, and I want to change the conversation.”
Specifically, she would like to change the conversation about “shutting people out and building walls, and how people think of others because of the way they look, their religion or what country they’re from.”
The result of her desire to add “purpose” to Celebrity messaging is a new ad campaign, “Sail Beyond Borders,” premiering with a television ad tonight after the debate. (The debate itself is commercial-free.)
Over scenic images from all over the world — some of them barrier-like mountains and ice floes, transitioning to matte shots blending iconic images from inviting, shining cities, gorgeous waterfalls, amusement park rides and urban waterfronts — a female narrator says, “Far from the talk of building walls, far from the threats of keeping people out, far from the rhetoric of fear, is a world of differences — differences that expand and enrich us, because after all, our lives aren’t made better when we close ourselves off to the world; they’re made better when we open ourselves up to it.”
Toward the end, a hopeful face looks upward. Then, under the imprint “Sail Beyond Borders” and “#BeyondBorders” is a ship’s wake, and the voiceover: “Celebrity Cruises.”
The anti-wall/open border narrative would suggest the ad is a direct challenge to Republican candidate Donald Trump’s positions on immigration, but Lutoff-Perlo said, “I’m supporting humanity, not supporting a political candidate. This isn’t about parties. I think people, whatever side of the aisle they sit, agree with me.”
“Will some people reject what I’m saying? Yes,” she continued. “Do I care? I do not. I run ships that are like floating United Nations, with people from more than 50 different countries and cultures. Their histories tell them they’re not supposed to get along. But they take care of each other and take care of our guests. I’ve seen how diversity works. It’s magical.”
The ads will run after the debates today and Oct. 9 on CNN and ABC, with print ad support in the New York Times, Seattle Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle and Architectural Digest.
Lutoff-Perlo has also penned a blog on the Celebrity website explaining why she feels passionately about the issue. In it, she declares, “Standing up for diversity, fighting stereotypes and trying to make connections has been Celebrity’s philosophy for as long as we’ve set sail. …This year, it seems important to say [it] out loud.”
Sourse: travelweekly.com
CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo
You are so wrong. People couldn’t care less about your political views. Offer a good product and at a fair price. I personally boycott companies that insert their political views in the mix. P.S I am a frequent cruiser and for the most part do not care about what you think.