• by Tanya Gazdik , August 15, 2012

After plunging off a bridge to his presumed demise in January, the Priceline Negotiator played by actor William Shatner has been found alive in a Priceline.com TV spot that begins airing this week.

A survey conducted by the company found that 94% of Priceline.com customers wanted to see The Negotiator again.

"Like all classic cliffhangers, the suspense lies in what happens next to The Negotiator," said priceline.com's Chief Marketing Officer Brett Keller in a release. "We know our customers and his fans are pleased to see him alive. As far as where the story goes from here, well, we'll just have to see."   

It’s surprising the company doubted the classic actor’s likability. A recent study by Complete foun that by combined measure, Priceline easily had the highest social “productivity” rate, with 98,631 Likes and 10,334 monthly unique visitors.

Given that most marketing campaigns are designed to drive travel bookings, the study also looked at the overlap between visitors to each brand’s Facebook page and primary site. Priceline again came out on top here, with 77% of its December Facebook visitors also going to Priceline.com.

Created by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP), the new spot shows a priceline.com agent who finds Shattner and tries to convince The Negotiator that his mission isn't over. He still needs to tell the world how priceline.com is developing even faster, easier ways to save money on hotels, rental cars and flights. 

The new spot can be viewed at www.youtube.com/priceline

Priceline recently launched a new “Express Deals” hotel service that allows customers to instantly save up to 45% on their hotel rooms without bidding. 

The company also continues to enhance its popular mobile offerings across iOS, Android and other platforms, allowing last-minute travelers wherever they are to book money-saving hotels, rental cars and airline tickets. Recent mobile upgrades include the expansion of priceline.com's Tonight-Only Deals for same-night hotel stays, with airline ticketing and “Express Deals” for mobile devices to follow.