Norwegian Cruise Line's Blasts From the Past

Classic tag returns in old-timey seafaring storyline

Adland’s colonial history lessons continue. Last week, we learned that Benjamin Franklin loved playing the New York Lottery and cloned himself. Now, we’re informed that ye-olde Royal Navy sailors preferred flip-flops to leather shoes with brass buckles. (We’d long suspected as much).

They’ll be in the scuppers by lunchtime.

This marks Norwegian’s first voyage with Arnold Worldwide, and it revives the brand’s Clinton-era tagline “It’s Different Out Here.” O Positive’s Jim Jenkins—best know these days for his work on Uber Eats—directs with flair.

“This is a pivotal moment for Norwegian Cruise Line,” says the brand’s CMO Kiran Smith. “We’re not just launching a campaign—we’re re-anchoring our brand in the values that have always set us apart: freedom and flexibility.”

Arnold ECD James Bray adds that the work strives to “breaks from the industry’s obsession with ‘bigger’ and celebrates NCL’s pioneering spirit, inviting travelers to experience a journey where presence and connection matter most.”

A friendly, accommodating vibe might seem an obvious course to chart. But in a category rife with mid-ocean spectacle and port-of-call promises, it feels refreshing to chill with humor and a decidedly personal touch.