• Inaugural client, San Diego Tourism Authority signs $1.5 million commitment to launch digital and interactive out-of-home campaign to attract travelers to experience their sun-soaked, vibrant city

• Emmy Award winning director and documentarian Andrew Stephan produces first creative venture from Wanderlab, a short film exploring the world through the eyes of a younger traveler

Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, announces the launch of its new in-house creative and content studio, Wanderlab.

The launch of Wanderlab is the fulfillment of an idea set in motion pre-pandemic to offer both travel and non-travel brands more than boxes and banner advertising options on Tripadvisor. By tapping into first party data, inspirational creative and focusing on cutting-edge marketing solutions, Wanderlab builds on the bedrock of Tripadvisor’s existing media offering, providing bold and compelling ways for brands to reach an audience of high intent, high spend travel shoppers, both on and off its platform.

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“Tripadvisor’s wealth of traveler insights sits at the heart of Wanderlab,” said Christine Maguire, Vice President and General Manager, Media at Tripadvisor. “No one knows the world’s experience seekers like we do. We see an opportunity to create a more efficient media marketplace where we connect the right advertisers with the right consumers through inspiring and relevant creative, powered by global insights.”

Wanderlab will operate as an independent studio, but benefit from Tripadvisor’s abundance of first party data, company resources and talent. Creative will encompass a wide-range of media, including sponsored brand and editorial content on the Tripadvisor platform, influencer and social-first activations, interactive video and voice experiences and much more.

Headquartered in SoHo, NYC, Wanderlab will tap into the skills of a global team of strategists, creatives, designers and content specialists. The studio will operate under the guidance of Christine Maguire, Vice President and General Manager, Tripadvisor Media.

San Diego Tourism Authority inaugural client

The studio’s official launch is marked by the announcement of a $1.5 million partnership commitment with the San Diego Tourism Authority, focused on highlighting the city’s optimism and positivity through a range of custom online content and real-world activations, inclusive of interactive street murals scheduled to be produced in markets around the United States.

“We’re looking forward to working with a premier partner, Tripadvisor, on a first-of-its-kind, innovative program, that uses data and insights to get unexpected, unique creative in front of the right consumer, in the right markets and at the right time,” said Kerri Kapich, Chief Operating Officer at San Diego Tourism Authority.

“Our launch partnership with San Diego Tourism Authority is a fantastic example of how bringing together world-class creative and real-world insights can elevate a campaign to something truly inspiring and effective,” added Maguire. “Brands are increasingly looking for new ways to tell their stories. We feel our innovation-first approach, combined with the power of the Tripadvisor platform, is a very compelling proposition for advertisers from across the industry.”

Director Andrew Stephan to debut Wanderlab’s first creative venture

Wanderlab’s official launch also sees the studio unveil its first creative output entitled, “Lost & Found,” a mini documentary that explores travel through the eyes of Generation Z.  Produced by Emmy Award winning director, Andrew Stephan, the documentary follows a group of young travelers, exploring what makes travel meaningful for their generation and how they hope to explore the world in the future.

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