Global Youth Travel Awards 2017

Best Marketing Campaign 2017

STA Travel

STA Travel pioneer project “Philippines Unplugged,” in partnership withTourism Philippines, documents the British band Skinny Living on a journey through the island province of Palawan.

STA identified the Philippines as a trending travel destination for the youth market and recognised that the this audience was looking for unique inspiration and real experiences in this destination.

The Philippines Unplugged concept answered combined the idea of acoustic, unplugged music with the feeling of travel freedom, being wild and “unplugged” from a digital device and the world of communication. The campaign’s objectives were to educate and inspire people to travel to the Philippines, using rich music and destination focused content, and the story of Skinny Living’s adventure and creative music process.

As Skinny Living journeyed around the Philippines, they experienced beaches, jungles, underground caves, food and life with locals, they also created and produced an exclusive new track, which they then performed at a live gig in Palawan at the end of the trip.

The Philippines Unplugged campaign offered a fresh and original perspective of the Philippines, presenting music, travel and cultural discovery in an accessible and authentic way for Millennials and Gen Z. The campaign was successful in educating, inspiring, and opening people’s eyes to the Philippines as a destination and resulted in increased web traffic and sales.