What is known as “The Silk Road,” a route that connects China to Europe, is virtually brought to life in our new digital integrated campaign in partnership with the Hangzhou Tourism Commission. The “Silk Road Race, Explore the Living Hangzhou” campaign showcases the vast array of experiences available to travelers in Hangzhou, a city with the perfect combination of history and modernity, nature and culture. From scenic locations like the West Lake to more than 60 cultural relic sites, pagodas and temples, Hangzhou offers plenty for the traveler to see.
Along with a visual and informative Expedia microsite on Hangzhou that makes it easy to book, the campaign encourages travelers in the UK, France and Germany to participate in unlocking new information about Hangzhou by leveraging Twitter’s “Flock to Unlock” mechanism, which incentivizes followers to spread a message by tweeting and retweeting to unlock exclusive content or rewards. In this case, the challenge encourages people to retweet or create a tweet using the hashtag #SilkRoadRace to unlock Hangzhou’s “See, Do, Eat, Stay” travel tips. Taking a virtual step closer to Hangzhou with every tweet, users from the country that first reaches 5,500 interactions will enter a drawing to win a trip to Hangzhou, courtesy of China Southern Airlines and JW Marriott Hotel Hangzhou.
To further engage travelers, the campaign is supported through display advertising on Expedia sites in the participating countries in addition to Passport Ads. Join the #SilkRoadRace now and start tweeting.