• by Tanya Gazdik , July 10, 2012

Travel planning Web site Expedia is launching a brand campaign that features user-generated content, both photos and videos.

The effort includes TV as well as a series of mini-documentaries and short travel-themed films at http://www.expedia.com/findyours. The campaign is the first work from new agency of record 180LA, which was selected in March. Media planning and buying for the Find Yours campaign was handled by TargetCast.

The campaign includes a new tagline, “Find Yours,” replacing “Where You Book Matters.” 

Vic Walia, senior director of brand marketing at Expedia, said changing the tagline was a natural extension of the rebranding effort.  

“For ‘Find Yours,’ we are focusing on how we strive to create an experience that makes each and every trip more relevant, rewarding, and transformational, focusing on a deeper, more meaningful relationship with travelers,” Walia tells Marketing Daily. “We are bridging the gap between technology and customer travel expectations, bringing back humanity and emotion to the travel experience.”

At its core, both the strategy and tagline are designed to “make travel personal,” he said. “We know that every trip is unique, personal and has the potential to be transformational.”

Expedia’s target market has not changed, he said. It remains both business and personal travelers. However, the company is seeking a “more meaningful dialogue” with consumers by featuring the user-generated content.

The campaign will continue to seek out everyday consumers with interesting travel stories. Those stories will be brought to life via mini-documentaries that star those travelers. Expedia is also building a tool to help travelers bring their stories to life via video, by integrating their travel photos, currently posted on Facebook, into a personalized, digital storytelling video.

Travelers are invited to share their photos and stories on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. A Twitter photo campaign pits bloggers versus bloggers in an effort to get fans to share photos that exemplify different key words such as “innocence,” or “nirvana,” or “cojones,” with winners earning a 4-night stay in Aruba at the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts.

Expedia has also created its first Pinterest contest in concert with the travel blog Wanderlust and Lipstick that invites consumers to create an Expedia Find Yours travel photo board for the chance to win a 4-night stay at Dreams in Los Cabos.

Expedia has asked young filmmakers to create 2- to-3-minute short films and 37 filmmakers, ages 13-28, submitted films for consideration. Voting to select the top 10 finalists concluded Tuesday. The winner will receive $10,000 and the top three finalists will be integrated into the new campaign.