Travel advertising’s evolution: Travel Texas, Hyatt & Best Western build loyalty with DOOH

Travel advertisers have always been masters of performance marketing. But as the landscape evolves and consumer expectations shift, forward-thinking brands are recognizing the need for a more holistic approach balancing performance goals with building long-term brand loyalty. To achieve this, many are turning to digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising. Here are three standout campaigns that leveraged DOOH to engage audiences in powerful new ways.

Travel advertisers have always been masters of performance marketing. As someone who has worked in digital advertising for over 15 years, I’ve seen how the “heads in beds” cost-per-booking mentality has served the industry well, delivering immediate, measurable results across various digital channels. But as the landscape evolves and consumer expectations shift, forward-thinking brands are recognizing the need for a more holistic approach. For travel and hospitality brands, the stakes are even higher –they’re not just selling a product; they’re selling an experience. This makes balancing their performance goals with building long-term brand loyalty all the more essential.

In the search for that sweet spot, many brands are leaning into the latest capabilities in the world of out-of-home (OOH) advertising. One area gaining significant traction is digital out-of-home (DOOH), which leverages many of the key elements brands use across other digital media channels – such as real-time data to deliver tailored messages directly to consumers in the spaces where they live, work and play.

To illustrate how transformative these progressive DOOH approaches can be, we’re spotlighting three standout campaigns for Travel Texas, Hyatt's Andaz brand and Best Western. Each campaign leveraged data to engage its audiences in compelling new ways.

Travel Texas: Inspiring wanderlust, one personalized billboard at a time

In a state as big as Texas, there’s no shortage of experiences to offer. But how do you make those experiences stand out in a world where travelers are flooded with endless options? For Travel Texas, the answer was personalization.

Teaming up with Vistar Media and Proof Advertising, Travel Texas set out to engage two key groups of travelers: millennials and Gen X adventurers. The goal was to promote the state’s rich mix of activities – from barbecue and music to vast open spaces – by delivering tailored messages to each audience at touchpoints throughout the day where they would be most receptive to brand messaging.

For example, the campaign leveraged dayparting to enhance their creative strategy, showcasing activities such as hiking and exploring nature in their daytime creatives, while evening creatives invited audiences to experience Texas’s vibrant nightlife. While OOH campaigns can be siloed from other channels, Travel Texas bridged this gap by utilizing Vistar Media’s Device ID Passback (DIDP) solution. This allowed them to collect privacy-safe MAIDS of consumers exposed to the campaign and retarget them across other digital channels – enabling DOOH to enhance and support the brand’s larger media investment strategy.

As a result, consumers exposed to the campaign were 176% more likely to travel to Texas than those who hadn’t seen the ads​. That’s the power of showing the right message at just the right moment – a strategy truly deserving of Gold recognition in the 2024 Drum Awards for Marketing Americas.

Hyatt Andaz: Elevating luxury travel through targeted travel advertising

Luxury travel isn’t just about getting from point a to point b – it’s about the promise of something special, something out of the ordinary. Hyatt’s Andaz Hotels & Resorts brand, known for its creative, immersive experiences, wanted to ensure its message reached the right audience: affluent, creatively minded travelers who value unique experiences.

For their first-ever DOOH campaign, Andaz teamed up with Dentsu and Vistar Media to execute a sophisticated approach in finding new brand loyalists. The campaign leveraged real-time data to reach high-income consumers in bustling urban centers such as Los Angeles, New York and Miami. The creative? A vibrant visual that encouraged travelers to “Be Like No One’s Watching,” celebrating the freedom to be your authentic self in a luxurious setting.

What made this campaign truly shine was its adaptability. Within just a week, Vistar Media was able to leverage our in-house Creative Studio to resize and tailor Andaz’s creative content to fit various OOH placements, from airport billboards to bus shelters in busy business districts. The result? A 37% increase in brand awareness and a 26% rise in intent to book a stay at one of Andaz’s boutique properties​. However, Andaz didn’t just build brand recognition and drive intent – it strengthened its connection with travelers who value individuality and luxury. It’s no surprise the campaign was awarded a Honorable Mention in the 2024 AdExchanger Awards for Best Programmatic OOH Activation.

Best Western: Encouraging spontaneity with dynamic creative

For Best Western Hotels & Resorts, personalization was key to capturing the attention of travelers on the go – particularly those making last-minute decisions about where to stay. With the help of Vistar Media and PMG, Best Western launched a dynamic creative DOOH campaign that targeted travelers based on their real-time location. With Vistar’s proximity targeting technology, Best Western deployed ads within an eight-mile radius of hotel locations with OOH creative that dynamically pulled in the distance to a Best Western.

Imagine you’re driving along the highway, approaching a city after a long day of travel. Suddenly, you see a digital billboard directing you to the Best Western just a few miles ahead. It’s exactly the kind of nudge that makes you consider Best Western over other options when needing a last-minute accommodation – whether at that exact moment, or at a later date.

This dynamic strategy helped Best Western not only capture the attention of road-trippers but also drive higher conversion rates by offering timely and relevant information. It’s this kind of personalization that turns a passive ad into a practical solution for travelers at just the right moment.

The bigger picture: Why personalization matters in OOH and travel advertisements

Across all three campaigns, the common thread is clear: personalization can elevate travel advertising in so many ways. From showcasing real-time rates to adjusting the creative to highlight time-of-day activities, the opportunities for travel and tourism brands to leverage OOH are endless.

In a world where consumers are constantly bombarded with messages, relevance in the moments that matter is often the key to breaking through the noise. By leveraging real-time data and programmatic technology, brands such as Travel Texas, Hyatt and Best Western were able to create hyper-relevant experiences that speak directly to their audience’s needs, desires and circumstances – and the lift they saw across all brand metrics helped reinforce that.

Whether it’s encouraging someone to visit a new destination, book a luxury hotel or make a last-minute travel decision, personalized OOH campaigns have the unique ability to meet consumers where they are – both physically and emotionally.

As the travel and hospitality industries continue to evolve, one thing is certain: the brands that embrace the power of personalization in everyday consumer moments will be the ones that stand out, create loyalty and build lasting connections with their audiences.