Virgin Voyages sets sail with Hearts & Science

Virgin Voyages has hired Hearts & Science as its global media agency partner in a broad brief that also involves OMG’s performance agency, Resolution. 

The business is a new entrant to the UK in terms of media planning and buying. Previously, this had been handled from the US.

Campaign understands its media spend is forecast to be in the seven-figures range.

Hearts & Science will oversee all activity across TV, AV, performance and digital in the UK for the adults-only luxury global cruise line. 

In parallel, the performance marketing agency OMG Resolution will work with Virgin Voyages across North America. 

Virgin Voyages is a new lifestyle travel brand focused on cruise vacations for adults. Its first ship, Scarlet Lady (see video below), was designed to offer an “intimate, elevated experience of a boutique hotel at sea”. 

This week, Virgin Voyages launched a new "Like a Virgin" campaign to target “younger more adventurous” adults. Hearts & Science is handling the campaign’s targeting, reach and frequency across multiple devices using its proprietary data and technology. The audio visual campaign is "underpinned with pay-per-click, organic and paid social, and digital display". 

“With international travel opening up again, Hearts was the perfect partner to help us take what is a truly phenomenal product to the market and drive revenue in a way that is reflective of the thoughtful, fun, cheeky Virgin brand,” Virgin Voyages director of growth and brand marketing Justin Terry said.

"We’re excited about working with Hearts as they help us break through an incredibly competitive market with their creativity and energy. This will help us at the top of the funnel to communicate Virgin Voyages as a relaxed-luxe, come-as-you-are, adults-only Voyage experience for travellers looking for a fun holiday experience.”

Hearts & Science managing director Garrett O’Reilly said: “The Virgin master brand has a proven track record of revolutionising every category that they enter and we’re excited about helping them bring this independent challenger spirit to the cruise and travel sector. 

"We’re relishing the prospect of developing an optimised full funnel approach for Virgin Voyages – balancing best-in-class performance alongside brand-driven growth – and in doing so delivering on both the heart and the science.”

In the past year, Hearts & Science added Peloton, Sanofi and Hargreaves Lansdown as new clients, while losing UKTV to Havas Entertainment. The agency's larger clients include GoCompare, Ocado and Audible.