Feadship turns to storytelling to stand out on the sea

January 30, 2019

Feadship explores the relationships between clients and captains. Image credit: Feadship

Feadship Royal Dutch Shipyards is spotlighting storytelling with a new campaign that looks beyond the superyachts the brand creates.

“Stories by Feadship” explores special and intimate moments between clients and Feadship staff members. These encounters are instrumental in shaping owners’ experiences with the brand.

“The whole idea came forth from some of the captains on board,” said Farouk Nefzi, marketing and brand director at Feadship, The Hague, Netherlands. “We wanted to showcase the real in-depth insights.”

Following the current
The first installment of Feadship’s new series, “Bakira,” is set in the waters off France's Côte d’Azur.

Dressed in a refined white dress shirt and dark pants, the protagonist walks around the deck of his custom yacht. He narrates the film through a voiceover, and slowly steps into the vessel’s pool as he reflects on an earlier conversation he had.

The first installment of the new Stories by Feadship campaign

As the man returns to the water’s surface, he has been transported to a lush, tropical setting. Light instrumental music and the sounds of nature add to the scene’s dreamlike quality.

Still fully dressed, the man approaches a poolside bar to dry off and strikes up a conversation with the bartender. He also puts on a suit jacket left at the bar.

The protagonist describes the bartender as an “odd fellow” who “knew all [his] sins and secrets.” As they speak, the protagonist’s voice speaks for the bartender.

As the conversation continues, the pair speak about the bartender’s earlier job working with wealthy families around the world, as well as poetry and popular culture.

Again, the bartender reveals his versatility as he begins to play piano for the protagonist. He introduces himself as Bakira, the same name as the yacht from the film’s beginning.

Feadship's new initiative emphasizes personal stories. Image credit: Feadship

The protagonist slips off the suit jacket and takes in his surroundings before he dives back into the pool and returns to his yacht.

“Strange thing, the places you end up when you let the current lead the way,” the man’s narration concludes.

Guest experiences
Affluent travelers are seeking out unique experiences, and focusing less on specific upscale amenities than in the best. Marketing efforts throughout the hospitality industry are reflecting that shift in consumer priorities.

For instance, luxury cruise line Crystal is exploring the personal side of travel in a multichannel campaign that highlights how guests make each experience their own.

Crystal is wagering that focusing on both its travelers and crew will set it up apart from other cruise lines. For an added personal touch, Crystal also incorporated user-generated content throughout the campaign (see story).

Private aviation firm Flexjet also launched a multichannel campaign that highlighted its services from two different perspectives.

Flexjet's effort included video spots featuring passengers and pilots alike, while additional social media posts share profiles of the company's real-life pilots. The “Poetic Point of View” campaign adds a human element to a travel sector that most often focuses on the exclusivity that is inherent in the experience of private air travel.

Similar to Feadship’s project, Flexjet’s campaign featured composite characters based on different pilots and passengers (see story).

Feadship will be releasing a second installment of the series later this spring.

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Feadship turns to storytelling to stand out on the sea

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