• A man in a fedora leaning stylishly on a yacht railing at sunset, captioned “Nauticool.” Hornblower Cruises ad campaign copy by Paul Baker.
  • A woman in a sweater gazing at the sea and mountains during sunset, paired with the definition “Cruisezenity.” Copywriting by Paul Baker for Hornblower Cruises campaign.
  • Three co-workers chatting on a Hornblower Cruises boat deck with seagulls above, alongside the witty definition “Flocking.” Advertising copy by Paul Baker for Hornblower Cruises.
  • A woman holding her hat on a breezy Hornblower Cruises deck, gazing at the horizon with the playful definition “Horizonate.” Copywriting concept by Paul Baker for Hornblower Cruises campaign.
Client

Hornblower Cruises

Title

“Yachting Vocabulary”

Role

Co-Creative Lead, Writer, Photo Selection

About This Project

How do you get the attention of corporate event planners browsing Facebook—without resorting to a hard sell?  The Creative Director came to me and said, “Paul, I’ve always wanted to do a campaign using made-up words…that still sound totally real.” She had me at “made-up words.”

The solution: school them with “Yachting Vocabulary” using actual cruise pictures paired with invented phrases. I searched hundreds of passenger-submitted photos (we had automatic rights) looking for scenarios I could turn into enticing benefits for planners. The CD took the selected photos and tweaked them to look gorgeous.

Next, the copy part. Matching the photo, I had to make up a word that sounded real, then write a fun, deadpan definition that would make event planners pick up the phone and call us at midnight. “Horizonate” was one of my favorites. This campaign was so successful that Hornblower brass asked us to create a second version with a new audience—wedding planners. They had me at “create”.

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