• by Fern Siegel , February 10, 2022

Booking.com has tapped actor Idris Elba (“The Wire") for its latest campaign, which revives its Booking.yeah work. The site, which helps with travel bookings, has long touted the platform’s reliability and simplicity of use.

The new Booking.yeah ad debuts at the Super Bowl, during which the company will give away up to half a million in vacations. 

The campaign illustrates how easy it is for travelers to book the perfect trip, which became harder during the COVID-19 pandemic. Elba highlights Booking.com features, including free cancellation options and customized filters to find the right accommodations. He admits the site has never been accused of being “sexy” or “lit,” but exists to help “you make the best of your vacation.”

Horses & Mules, a creative consultancy based in LA, developed the integrated campaign, which will run for five weeks after Feb. 13 across TV, audio streaming and online channels. Mindshare handles media strategy and planning.

The work is comprised of 15- and 30-second spots, including “Idris Elba Says Things,” the Super Bowl ad. Others include “Peace of Mind” and “Pretty Perfect.” All spots are viewable on YouTube.com/Bookingcom.

“Booking.com’s sense of humor gels with mine, so I was thrilled to partner with a brand that doesn’t take themselves too seriously and focuses on just getting the job done of helping to make it easier for everyone to experience the world,” said Elba.

To celebrate the campaign launch, Booking.com is offering $500K in vacations — 100 trips at up to $5,000 each — during the Super Bowl, inspired by any of the destinations featured in this year’s ads. Viewers can tag @bookingcom on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with #SendMeThere and #Sweepstakes at any time during the game to enter. The giveaway begins on February 13, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. ET, game kickoff, and ends at midnight.

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of U.S. travelers surveyed by Travel Predictions 2022research, commissioned by Booking.com, found Americans open to taking vacations. In total, 24,055 respondents across 31 countries and territories were polled. The findings: Respondents will agree to a vacation opportunity if their budget permits. More than half (58%) are open to different types of vacations than before the pandemic, with 63% saying they don’t mind where they go, if it’s the kind of trip they want.

NBCUniversal has sold its remaining inventory, 10 days before the Feb. 13 game, securing as much as $7 million for 30-second spots.