The challenge
P&O Cruises wanted to leverage its partnership with Gary Barlow to create Talent of Tomorrow, a competition that would spotlight young musical talent, engage new audiences, and enhance its brand story. The challenge was to deliver an X-Factor-style campaign across social and digital platforms, capturing the drama of auditions, mentorship, and a grand finale while driving meaningful audience participation through a public vote.
Our solution
Sunday designed an 8-month social-first campaign featuring multiple shoots aligned with Gary Barlow’s schedule. Key elements included:
- Auditions at The Academy in Southampton, where 10 finalists performed for a panel led by DJ Dev Griffin.
- A mentoring day aboard Iona with Gary guiding the top three finalists.
- A finale in Lisbon, where Gary introduced the winner, Faith Simon, who performed her original song live.
Content included high-quality videos, blogs, and Q&As, with a priority on paid media for audience reach. Organic channels amplified engagement, particularly on Instagram, while CRM emails and blog posts drove traffic to the Talent of Tomorrow hub for deeper storytelling.
The results
The campaign smashed all KPIs:
- Paid Social: 6.3M impressions (189% above target) and 4.9M reach (311% above target).
- Organic Social: 1M video views, with Instagram exceeding KPIs by 700% and 57% of viewers being new to P&O Cruises.
- Website Traffic: 9,759 blog visits (53% from paid social, 50% new visitors).
- Opt-In Leads: 82% of entrants and 54% of voters opted into marketing communications.
The campaign not only exceeded marketing goals but celebrated young talent in an era of diminished arts funding. With powerful stories of creativity and hope, Talent of Tomorrow established a lasting emotional connection between P&O Cruises and its audience.
