Thomas Cook: Better late than never

A digital ad campaign of Thomas Cook India aims to encourage older people to travel and also move the younger generation to push their older relatives out of their comfort zones

Images of old, like those of kids, straightaway strike a chord. It is no surprise, then, that two advertisements which show one character each with no dialogues but their own voice-over and minimal gestures - they merely get up from their seats to leave for a first trip abroad - make the point without much fuss.

Evocative background music swells up as a woman and a man in the Thomas Cook India ads, being floated online, recount what they have witnessed through their lifetimes, spanning eras and places that hint at the gradual shift in their lives from a rural/small town past to a metropolitan space where they are now ready to "see" Paris and London. Aside from capturing vignettes of the lives of those who have seen several decades ("I have seen three wars and four riots", "I hadn't seen a city till my husband brought me here"), the ads subtly convey the wanderlust aspirations of the aged.

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When asked about the focus on senior citizens, Abraham Alapatt, president and group head, marketing, service quality, financial services and innovation, Thomas Cook India, points out that "slightly more than 20 per cent of our existing queries were coming from people who are 60 or above". He says the company realised it's a latent opportunity, adding that the Amadeus-Frost and Sullivan report 2013 projected the number of outbound senior citizens of India growing from 1.3 million to 7.5 million passengers in 15 years.

Alapatt says, "Everybody talks of India as a young population but very few look at the opportunities of senior citizens, which is why we created what we call Silver Breaks itineraries - products that are hand-picked destinations which are elderly-friendly, and also services that are aligned to the group such as special dietary needs, medical assistance and entertainment evenings. These are small things that make a big difference."

Coming during the peak travel season and that, too, on a "non-traditional" medium for senior citizens, the twin ads may appear to be a drastic departure from the usual campaigns that are aimed at a younger demographic.

But the choice of a digital platform, Alapatt explains, was dictated by the fact that "more or less it's the young people who are buying holidays for older citizens". He adds that with this segment, the company is testing the waters, and so restricting it to the digital channel for now. "Depending on the uptake we will look at whether we should broad-base the medium," he says.

Debarjyo Nandi, senior vice-president, L&K Saatchi and Saatchi, which conceptualised the #NeverTooOld campaign, says, "While travel and tour companies are going all out to target the traditional family and youth segments, Thomas Cook India's internal research has revealed the emergence of a viable target audience in India's Gen S - senior citizens with plenty of free time and disposable income (often enough, topped up by their children) and are increasingly fit and raring to travel."

Nandi adds, "Senior citizens form a large population of eager, travellers most of whom may be even travelling for the first time and are filled with apprehensions and concerns about travelling on their own. Hence, Thomas Cook re-introduced a unique product, 'Senior Citizens Holiday Plans', specifically for India's seniors." He identifies the objective of the ads as encouraging senior citizens to travel and also move the younger generation to drive their parents and grandparents to travel and see the world.

Thomas Cook India has followed up the #NeverTooOld campaign that began mid-April with two others by the month-end and start of May - Bachat Ka Baadshah, directed at young Indians who are inherent savers and looking for last-minute, readymade packages, and "Travel Smart Drive Easy" campaign aiming to drive the trend of moving towards a cashless ecosystem with the help of the one-currency card.

While one campaign focuses on offerings such as visa-friendly destinations with aggressive pricing for a critical young consumer group, the other concentrates on the company's travel related financial services.