Intrepid Travel has launched the next evolution of its global brand campaign, Only Intrepid, introducing a more emotionally resonant and immersive approach to storytelling.
Officially unveiled on 2 September, the campaign leads into Intrepid’s biggest sales period of the year—Black Friday—and is backed by hundreds of creative assets designed for multi-channel engagement.
Following a highly successful 2024 iteration—which delivered a 55% surge in global brand searches and $29 million in revenue from 10,000 new customers—this next chapter continues to strengthen the company’s investment in long-term brand building alongside performance marketing.
Immersive storytelling with global reach
Filmed across Italy, Turkey, Tanzania, Croatia, Morocco, and Kenya, the campaign leans heavily on first-person storytelling and real experiences that capture the heart of Intrepid’s trips. New creative assets focus on deep cultural connections—like cooking traditional meals in a Kenyan village or crafting mosaics in Croatia—designed to make viewers feel as though they’re right there in the moment.
The updated campaign includes refreshed calls to action, QR codes, and localisation tools, enabling regional teams to tailor the messaging across paid, owned, earned and shared media. The integrated campaign will be visible across digital, social, podcasts, radio, TV, email and prominent out-of-home placements in cities like Melbourne and London.
Shift in strategy
Reflecting a broader shift in Intrepid’s marketing mix, the company has moved from allocating 80% of spend to performance, to an even 50/50 split between brand and performance marketing. This evolution underlines Intrepid’s commitment to brand storytelling as a key driver of awareness and conversion.
Global Brand Director Natalie Placko said:
“From learning to make a traditional meal in a small village in Kenya to hand-making mosaics in Croatia, this campaign highlights the unique moments you can have, and the meaningful connections you can make, on our trips. This is Intrepid at its best. We know that what travellers remember most are the connections they forge along the journey, and we wanted to put those life-changing moments at the centre of our storytelling in a way that makes the audience feel like they’re part of the action.”
A long-running creative partnership
The campaign was again developed in collaboration with Melbourne-based creative studio SouthSouthWest (SSW), continuing a creative partnership that began in 2021. Previous campaigns include Travel is Back for Good (2022), Good Trips Only (2023), and the first Only Intrepid campaign in 2024.
