• by Larissa Faw , January 23, 2017

Expedia and its agency 180LA are using the timing of the transition to a new presidential administration to introduce an advertising campaign designed to bring people together in today's fractured and divided world.

The concept communicates the travel platform’s long-held belief that travel has the power to change the world one person at a time – an insight that in the company's view is best articulated by Mark Twain: “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”

The 60-second TV/online spot follows a decade-by-decade journey of a red-headed woman as she reflects back to her time as a curious child, peeking over her neighbor’s fence, then starting a journey in her 20s as she experiences diverse adventures, including helping refugees. Along the way, she receives advice from an older man aboard the Trans-Siberian railroad that enables her to understand experiences across cultures.

The “Train” ad first aired during CNN’s coverage of the inauguration on Friday, January 20 before running across cable and network TV.

"The message of 'Travel the World Better' is at the core of why Expedia exists," says Vic Walia, senior director, brand marketing, Expedia.com. "We believe that travel has the power to transform you and shape your views of the world. We believe that the more each of us travel and peek over our neighbor’s fence, we learn that we have more in common than we have different.”

Expedia has a history of using its market position and marketing platform to share messages of unity, especially on controversial topics. For instance, Expedia created a three-minute version of this concept for TV during the Supreme Court voting period on marriage equality a few years ago.