Jennifer Barker & Brenda Lynn Yeomans of Celebrity Cruises
The Artist Project is a massive event
Smiling hostesses' outfits evoked a 40s theme
Some of the imaginative 'set-sail' themed art at the Celebrity display area
Good for Celebrity Cruises – not only do they have a wonderful product but they know how to be creative and set traditional marketing on its head.
Take for example the cruise lines’ participation in Toronto’s The Artist Project. Now in its 7th year, the 4 day show and sale of contemporary art at the city’s cavernous Better Living Centre gives area residents the opportunity to meet some 250 top artists from across the country, view and even purchase their work. Celebrity was not only a main sponsor, but they hosted a large area displaying artists’ contributions on a nautical motif (the theme of the show was Set Sail). Attendees were invited to vote for their favourite work and have the chance to win a Celebrity Cruise.
In keeping with the cruise theme, guests at the opening night VIP reception were also invited to have their photos taken, gangway style, by a professional photographer.
“This is a sponsorship opportunity to build new business and reach out to the modern, luxury guests,” Brenda Lynn Yeomans, Regional Sales Manager/Canada for Celebrity told me. “The art connection is a natural for us – we have multi-million dollar art collections on our 10 ships, and guests can do art tours and meet our artists in residence.” Celebrity ships even feature glass blowers who will create, in glass, reproductions of drawings that the kids on board make, which are in turn raffled or auctioned off for charity.
Yeomans went on to describe the typical Celebrity client as clients who are “55-ish” and enjoy great food & fine wines; who like modern rather than traditional and are very tech-savvy. One especially successful sales ploy in Canada has been to charter 737s out of YHM and YOW to FLL for a seamless, all-inclusive experience. “Our sales increase in Canada by leaps and bounds each year – we are the envy of the ‘hood!” she laughs.
As the artistically-inclined, well-dressed art show attendees milled around the Celebrity Cruises area, you could tell that yes – this is a great way to market (especially when you are the only cruise line present!)
