Celebrity Cruises has created a marketing campaign, which launched on the night of the first US presidential election debate, called ‘Sail beyond Borders.’ It said, “Far from the talk of building walls, far from the threats of keeping people out, far from the rhetoric of fear is a world of differences.”

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, told Skift “If people want to choose [to view] this statement as a political statement, I can’t control that.”
Lutoff-Perlo referenced the Brexit vote as well as hate crimes in the UK as the inspiration for the message. Certainly the Miami based cruise line has timed the campaign to juxtapose the stance taken by the Republican candidate Donald Trump, who wants to build a wall between the US and Mexico.
The commercials identify that Celebrity visits 280 cities around the world and that crew members represent more than 50 cultures.
There are risks to making a political statement as Celebrity has. “I believe anybody that truly looks at this and says, ‘We’re not going to sail on Celebrity again,’ they’re probably not sailing on Celebrity,” Lutoff Perlo said. “I hope I get more people than I lose.”
The television commercials will run again on Tuesday, Oct. 9 (when the second presidential debate is scheduled), and Oct. 10.
Five newspapers including The New York Times, Washington Post, and San Francisco Chronicle, as well as in Architectural Digest will carry full-page ads.
The ads, featuring global landmarks will also be shown in the UK and Australia.
Chief marketing officer Peter Giorgi (previously from Airbnb) said, “We’re in a time that’s unlike any in our history and we’re encouraging people to be fearless.”
“Sail Beyond Borders addresses the need to celebrate our differences, to participate in the world, to take a journey. And, as a global travel brand that exists to bring people from different countries together to experience every corner of the globe, it feels like the right time to speak up.”