• by Elaine Naum , Columnist, July 1, 2016

Most of us aren’t opposed to the idea of lounging poolside in a bikini, sipping a cocktail on the grand deck of a luxury cruise ship. We don’t object when we see ads featuring good-looking families prancing together on spotlessly clean beaches, attractive couples sharing romantic dinners by candlelight, or young adventurers zip-lining through tropical jungles.

But if this year’s winning work at Cannes has shown us anything, it’s that more travel brands are ditching the dream scenarios in favor of the facts: the best travel experiences aren’t art directed, scripted or edited. They’re raw, real and imperfect – just like people. And more and more people, especially younger people, want to live like a local when traveling.

“Live There,” Airbnb’s campaign created by TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles, is one of my hands-down favorites. A winning spot wastes no time in dismantling our cookie-cutter tourist tendencies with this plea: “Don’t go to Paris. Don’t tour Paris. And please don’t ‘do’ Paris.” The sighing disappointment in the narrator’s voice is so palpable, we almost feel genuinely ashamed for ever having Googled “all-inclusive resort vacation” or “discount bus tours.” 

Beautifully captured from print to filmmaking, Airbnb’s insight that living is better than visiting has made it one of the most awarded brands at the festival. Data collected by Airbnb showed that 86% of its users choose the platform because they want to live more like a local. A good cup of coffee at a quaint Venetian café holds more appeal than a hokey gondola ride. 

Airbnb also found that 52% of younger U.S. travelers think crowded tourist attractions cause more stress than tax returns, and 47% don’t like to be classified as tourists, an indicator that we are quickly approaching a tipping point in the travel and tourism industry.

Another campaign favorite comes from the Swedish Tourist Association, created by INGO Stockholm. This work is so fascinating because an entire country stripped the touristy Shellac off of its ads and delivered transparency and access in the most brilliant way: The Swedish Number. A phone number that connects you to a random Swede, anywhere in Sweden. (Go ahead, try it: +46 771 793 33. I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!) 

The campaign has generated over 178,000 calls from 186 countries around the world, and it has picked up a whole pride of Lions: 13 Cannes Lions across Direct, Promo & Activation, PR, Cyber, Media, Mobile, Entertainment and Titanium awards. Why was The Swedish Number so successful? Apart from pulling off a global first, this campaign was about one thing: knowing the risks, and choosing authenticity anyway. And that takes some serious Swedish meatballs.

This isn’t the first time Sweden very publicly enlisted the authenticity, diversity and character of its people in its tourism efforts. In 2012, Visit Sweden handed over the country’s Twitter handle, @Sweden, to regular Swedes – something @Ireland now does weekly. This attracted a bit of controversy, but it also earned them a Cyber Grand Prix. Totally worth it. 

I hope these Cannes winners are a sign of good things to come in how we as marketers tell stories about the world around us, and how we as consumers experience the richness and diversity of it: not through selfies or package deals, or stuck in tourist traps that millions before us have ogled. I’m looking forward to seeing more brands celebrate local culture, and those unique human experiences and moments that can only be lived once.