See a sneak preview of First Choice’s new advert

First Choice has undergone a complete repositioning to become TUI’s ‘low cost’ holiday brand, not the home of all-inclusive.

The brand overhaul is being backed up by a multi-million pound advertising campaign launching on Boxing Day to promote thousands of holidays at ‘ridiculous’ prices from £299 per person.

Click ‘play’ below for a sneak preview.

Katie McAlister, TUI UK and Ireland chief marketing officer, told TravelMole that research among consumers and close analysis of how they use the First Choice website had identified a demand for good value holidays and more flexibility.

"There’s definitely been a shift to more flexibility in terms of product range, board basis and holiday duration. Our all-inclusive positioning was a bit limiting," she said.

First Choice became ‘the home of all-inclusive’ in 2012 in order to differentiate itself from the Thomson brand.

Following the brand overhaul, some all-inclusive product that previously sat within the First Choice portfolio will switch to TUI and some TUI product will move to First Choice.

It means TUI will be further positioned at the premium end of the package holiday market, said McAlister.

The ‘ridiculously good value’ TV ad first airs during ITV’s premier of the James Bond blockbuster Skyfall and will, according to TUI, reach almost 95% of UK adults.

It opens with a couple and their son relaxing around the swimming pool during their family holiday in Turkey.

The parents discuss their disbelief at the price of the holiday, stating it is ‘ridiculous’ at only £299 per person.

The ad then cuts to the young son who blows into a large conch shell and the ‘ridiculousness’ begins in the shape of various chracters, including a soaking wet tiki bar drummer who emerges from the pool bashing a melon drum kit, Cleopatra feeding a ventriloquist dummy, a flying merman shooting out of a cannon and two sumo wrestlers having a pillow flight – all to the tune of Tight Fit’s 1982 number one hit ‘In the Jungle’.

The ad ends with the voiceover ‘Ridiculous deals need ridiculous adverts’.

"We wanted to make the advert as impactful as possible and to make it different from TUI," said McAlister.

"We want people to have fun on their holidays and the humorous First Choice persona really shines through. The ad may seem weird and wacky but that is exactly what we wanted to deliver.

"First Choice has always been a bold, confident, innovator with a swagger and sense of humour and fun. Our new ad embodies all of those qualities whilst highlighting our new low-cost package holiday brand proposition."

A mix of 30 and 20 second TV ads will be focussed on humorous programming slots including ITV’s Take Me Out, The Simpsons on Sky1 and a number of comedy films being shown across Sky Cinema and Film4.

A 10-second cut down will be used across the First Choice social channels and a radio ad campaign will run in tandem with a print campaign.

For the first time, First Choice has included YouTube Trueview and Bumpers in its media plan, which will feature alongside ‘ridiculous’ and funny video content.