This creepy travel ad urges you to book that trip with a human

As consumers start to think about booking trips again, an unnervingly creepy ad from Internova Travel Group warns of the dangers of using faceless websites that rely on AI to book your vacation. 

The spot, created by Toronto agency Broken Heart Love Affair, depicts an AI concierge in an empty, bland-looking "Hotel Paradise" explaining in robotic tones how the place is perfect for you because "data analysis indicates that you fit the profile of travelers who have been here..so this will be very special for you." It gets even creepier as he reveals that they "watch everything" and "hear everything" (and there's a nod to "The Shining" in the cinematography as he stalks the hotel corridors). It ends with the words "Don't let a machine choose your vacation." Rodrigo Garcia Saiz at Frank Content helmed the film.

As well as the longform video, the wider campaign includes out-of-home ads in new York and Los Angeles. They direct viewers to the company's BookHuman.travel web experience, which was developed by Broken Heart Love Affair's sister shop Lifelong Crush. The site connects users directly with real travel advisors across the U.S. from Global Travel Collection, Internova's luxury and premium travel division, rather than relying on chatbots

The company is hoping to emphasize that post-pandemic, having a human travel agent on hand to guide you will be important. (Rivals such as Expedia have also tried to highlight that they can offer a more personalized experience in their post-pandemic marketing.)

“The Covid-19 pandemic brought to light the horrors of travel disruption in a new way,” said J.D. O’Hara, chief executive officer of Internova Travel Group, in a statement. “Individuals and families left stranded with no refunds and limited support gave way to a climate of extreme frustration. Many realized that getting travel wrong – personal or business – can have very real, very strenuous consequences. That’s when travel advisors were called in to save the day.”

“The old way just became new again,” added Brent Rivard, chief marketing officer at Internova. “People today have access to a plethora of online booking algorithms to plan their vacations, but artificial intelligence won’t give you a unique, personalized experience, and it doesn’t particularly care if anything goes wrong. Bots are simply programmed to sell, not care. It’s time for humans to take back what’s rightfully theirs.”