Broken Heart? Theres a Contiki for That

In November 2023, while casually scrolling through TikTok we spotted an opportunity. Content creator Yvette Segan had just gone viral after announcing her boyfriend had just broken up with her. What got our attention was her reaction to the break up… “I think I’m gonna go to Europe”.

Being the original social travel company in Europe for 18-35 year olds, we knew there was a very strong brand fit. We also knew just how relatable it was with 18% of our recent Voice of a Generation (VOAG) survey (of 6000+ 18-35 year olds) telling us they booked a trip to deal with a breakup.

So we decided to turn this spontaneous moment into a brand-defining campaign for Contiki.

The idea was simple but effective. Instead of dropping into Yvette’s DM’s, we created a memorable brand opportunity by reaching out publicly on Social. We had to move fast to make it feel organic and capitalise on the real-time virality of the moment. Yvette’s now rising profile also meant we needed to act fast to secure the partnership. So that day our President of Contiki North America reached out to Yvette through a reactive ‘stitch’ video, to try make her European wish come true, and in under two weeks she was in London ready to start her Contiki (London to Berlin by train).

Followers watched Yvette as she documented her experience in her own authentic voice. Each post gave viewers a window into the Contiki experience - from the excitement the trip brought about, the ‘only-on-Contiki’ experiences, watching global friendships… to actually getting over her break-up.