We had a hook (the experiment) but we knew we needed more than scientific data to make people pay attention and care. As Creative Content Lead my role was to figure out how to use our influencers to bring this to life in a real and believable way.

The EEG data needed to feel human to connect, not scripted or gimmicky. So we looked at content ideas from their authentic voice and unique POV while travelling (not repeating ours).

So what did we do…

  • We let them run daily Story takeovers on Instagram - allowing them to share insights, surprises, and personal reflections in their own way.

  • Creating a social narratives channels.

  • We prepared a reactive plan to share Reactive content plan that reacted to the strongest brainwave moments.

The Travel Experiment

As global leaders in youth travel we know that travel is a peak life experience, but rather than just saying it, in an industry first we partnered with MyndPlay to prove it.

Brainwaves Don’t Lie took influencer marketing a step further by backing up their authentic storytelling with cutting-edge neuroscience. How? We sent five influencers, on five Contiki trips, capturing their brain activity in real time. They simply enjoyed their trip, posting along the way, while in the background a specialised EEG headset (paired with action camera) captured and translated it all, the moments of genuine joy, relaxation, excitement, and social connection. At the end we pulled back the curtain, revealing the results.

Social Takeover

Social Takeover

Results

Brainwaves Don’t Lie became one of Contiki’s most impactful social campaigns.

The audience connected with real travellers sharing how a moment felt. By building the campaign around creators and giving them space to share the story in their own way, we kept the science credible without losing the emotional heart of the brand.

The result was a campaign that landed both as an innovation story and as a human one.

  • More than 4 million organic TikTok views across creator and brand channels

  • Significant uplift in follower engagement during the reveal content window

  • Strong positive sentiment, with audiences calling the concept “wildly relatable” and “proof of what travel does to you”

  • Clear evidence that Contiki experiences generated the highest peak moments across all five trips

Awards

The Brainwaves Don’t Lie campaign also gained industry recognition across creativity, digital innovation and travel marketing

  • Winner, Best Media Campaign, Lovie Awards

  • Winner, Innovation Trailblazer Award, Travel Marketing Awards

  • Honoree, The Webby Awards