Havas Media North America Helps Wyndham Turn The American Road Trip Into a European Adventure Video

When economic pressures began reshaping travel behaviour across the United States, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts faced a challenge shared by many hospitality brands: how do you inspire travel when consumers are increasingly focused on affordability? 

Working alongside Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Havas Media North America developed an insight-driven social campaign that transformed a market challenge into a creative opportunity. The result was Drive to Europe, a campaign that reimagined the European vacation experience for everyday American travellers, proving that memorable travel experiences can be found much closer to home.  

As economic uncertainty and rising costs influenced travel decisions in 2025, Americans were not abandoning travel altogether. Instead, they were adapting their plans. 

Research identified a clear shift towards local and regional getaways, driven by affordability and value-conscious decision-making. At the same time, social platforms such as TikTok and Meta continued to play an increasingly influential role across the travel journey, from inspiration and discovery to planning and booking.  

For Wyndham, whose purpose is making travel possible for all, this presented an opportunity to connect with travellers in a way that felt both relevant and genuinely useful. 

The team uncovered a compelling cultural insight: while many Americans dream of visiting Europe, the United States is home to hundreds of locations that share the names, architecture, or spirit of iconic European destinations. 

From Athens, Georgia to Rome, New York and the Parthenon in Tennessee, travellers could experience a taste of Europe without the cost of an international flight. Wyndham’s extensive hotel network made it uniquely positioned to connect these destinations through a road-trip experience.  

Built around the idea Why fly to Europe when you can drive there?, the campaign invited Americans to rediscover their own backyard while positioning Wyndham as the enabler of accessible travel experiences.  

Recognising that travel inspiration increasingly begins on social media, Havas Media North America created a content-led strategy built for platform-native engagement. 

To bring the idea to life, the campaign partnered with British comedian Troy Hawke, whose distinctive humour helped balance entertainment with authenticity. Troy embarked on a road trip across America, visiting these unexpected “European” destinations and creating a series of social videos that blended comedy, travel inspiration and brand storytelling.  

Content was adapted across TikTok, Meta and YouTube, while out-of-home placements amplified awareness in key markets. A dedicated campaign hub enabled travellers to explore routes, discover destinations and plan their own road-trip adventures, creating a seamless path from inspiration to action.  

The campaign also benefited from continuous optimisation, including platform-specific creative adaptations, trend-informed hashtag strategies and extended engagement tactics across social channels.

The campaign demonstrated how culturally relevant creativity, informed by audience insight and distributed through the right channels, can drive meaningful business results. 

“Drive to Europe” reached 18 million unique everyday travellers, generating strong visibility at a time when broader travel demand was under pressure. The campaign delivered a 7-point increase in awareness and a 7-point increase in favourability, while also strengthening perceptions of Wyndham’s extensive portfolio and nationwide presence.  

Beyond brand metrics, the campaign drove tangible commercial outcomes. Website traffic exceeded expectations, increasing by 20% compared with previous campaign benchmarks, while featured Wyndham properties recorded double-digit booking growth, with some locations seeing increases of up to 10% year over year despite contraction across the wider hotel category.  

The success of “Drive to Europe” demonstrates the power of combining audience understanding, social-first creativity and connected media to deliver impact across the full customer journey, from discovery and engagement to conversion and business growth.  

How did Havas Media North America help Wyndham Hotels & Resorts drive growth during a challenging travel market? 

Havas Media North America identified a shift toward regional, value-driven travel and developed the “Drive to Europe” campaign to inspire affordable travel experiences closer to home. By combining audience insights, creative storytelling and connected media activation, the campaign drove increases in awareness, engagement, website traffic and bookings.  

What was the key insight behind the Drive to Europe campaign? 

The campaign was built on the insight that consumers were not giving up on travel despite economic pressures. Instead, they were seeking more affordable alternatives to long-haul holidays. This created an opportunity to reposition American destinations with European connections as accessible and inspiring road-trip experiences.  

Why are social platforms so important in modern travel marketing? 

Social platforms have become essential channels for travel discovery, inspiration and planning. Havas Media North America recognised this shift and developed a social-first content strategy across TikTok, Meta and YouTube, ensuring audiences encountered the campaign where travel decisions are increasingly made.  

What does the Drive to Europe campaign demonstrate about Havas Media North America’s approach to marketing? 

The campaign showcases how Havas Media North America combines data-driven audience understanding, culturally relevant creativity, content-led storytelling and connected media to deliver measurable business outcomes across the full customer journey, from awareness and engagement through to conversion and sales.