Media agency Forward launches new creative division

Becomes first full-service ad agency for travel brands

Specialist travel media agency Forward has rolled out a new creative production division, which allows it to provide a full service offering and content creation.

Integrating the new bureau with its established data and insights and media strategy business will see Forward - part of lastminute.com - become the only end-to-end operator of its kind in the travel industry.

The expansion furthers Forward’s capacity to deliver cost-effective, relevant and insight-driven advertising.

Managing the planning, creation and execution of campaigns under one roof removes the silos that, prevalent in a multi-agency approach, can lead to fragmented strategies, unshared insights, duplicated tasks and inconsistent measurement.

Forward’s lastminute.com heritage underpins the agency’s in-depth understanding of the travel industry and its audiences, as well as its opportunities and challenges.

This expertise helps clients navigate the evolving market as consumer behaviour changes; economic uncertainty, the rise of mobile booking platforms and influencer inspiration on social media require today’s travel brands to maintain a constant presence to cater for spontaneous bookings, in contrast to the more predictable buying periods that have been traditional, as well as stand out in a crowded marketplace.

The creation of the Creativity and Production department at Forward recognises that creativity accounts for 50% of a campaign’s success, while high-quality creative drives more than four times as much profit; the critical nature of creative has seen 65% of marketers have increase their focus on the quality of their creative in the past year.

The new Forward team comprises creatives, digital and video producers and a visual storyteller, supplemented with an external network of filmmakers and video editors.

They will work closely with the company’s Insights and Media Strategy divisions so that creative development is informed by robust data and audience understanding; campaigns are then executed using real-time insights to determine the most effective channels and formats across lastminute.com properties and external platforms.

This connected workflow - from data analysis to content creation to media activation – will enable Forward to leverage its new status as a full-service agency to design and deliver highly relevant and performance-driven campaigns.

Forward’s clients include tourist boards, airlines, hotel chains and travel related brands such as credit card providers, as well as any brand wanting to reach a travel-focused audience.

The agency has beta tested its new end-to-end approach with successful campaigns for clients including the Abu Dhabi Tourism Board, American Express, the Czech Republic Tourism Board, the Morocco Tourism Board and Visa, as well as a joint campaign for Brand USA and Hilton.

Giacomo Giuriani, business director at Forward, says: “The new creative team is the last piece of the puzzle at Forward, meaning we can now provide everything a brand needs to run cost-effective advertising campaigns that resonate and deliver in an ever-changing environment.

“Our new business model celebrates our travel brand DNA but also reflects a broad shift in how brands want to work – fewer silos, more flexibility, and smarter and more efficient creative solutions.”

Paul Cumiskey, chief marketing officer of lastminute.com, said: “At lastminute.com we’ve seen first-hand the value Forward brings, from innovative creative campaigns to the strength of its media partnerships, which has allowed it to own specialist operations and build an impressive client roster.

“The visual element is an important part of any marketing campaign, so it has expanded its skillset by enhancing its creative capacity, to help clients achieve their goals without the cost being prohibitive.