Kayak Makes Comic Pitch to Folks Who Can Finally Travel Again

In the spot below, an imitative entrepreneur pitches investors for funding, and his concept sounds awfully familiar.

“This is the greatest idea you’ll ever hear. It’s an app, that compares hundreds of travel sites for hotels and cars and vacation rentals…”

“So, it’s Kayak?”

“Yeah, like Kayak!”

“Why don’t you just call it Kayak?”

Nah, he’s got another name in mind.

In real life, he’d probably nail some big-ass Series-A bucks. Here, however, “Canoe” serves as a punchline in one of several comic Kayak commercials from creative agency Interesting Development. They seek to put the online travel service back on the map as pandemic restrictions lift and consumers plan summer getaways after spending more than a year hunkered down at home.

Next, Canoe’s would-be founder returns, still cluelessly paddling upstream:

“We wanted to give a younger audience, potentially new and unfamiliar with Kayak, a clear reason to visit the site as they research and ultimately book a much-needed and well-deserved trip,” agency founder and creative lead Paul Caiozzo tells Muse. “And we wanted them to understand the full breadth of what Kayak offers—searches for cars, hotels, vacation rentals and flights.”

These :15s pound home such points—with a meat tenderizer, naturally.

Looks like someone needs to get out more!

CREDITS

Client: Kayak
Matt Clarke, VP Marketing US  
Andrea Charriez, Director of Brand  
Rebecca Hansen, Creative Director

Agency: Interesting Development  
Paul Caiozzo: Chief Creative Officer  
Nathan Frank: Executive Creative Director  
Johan Leandersson: Creative Director  
Mai Huynh: Executive Producer
Shannon Coletti: Head of Accounts
Jerome Marucci: Copywriter
Steve McElligott: Copywriter

Production: Caviar LA
Director: Zach Math  
Producer: Jill Sartore  
DP: Trent Opaloch  
Executive Producer: Kim Dellara
Post Production: Nomad Editorial
Editor: Dan Maloney
Assistant Editor: Nick Dorman
Flame: Ed Lopez
Flame Assist: Justin Allison
Head of VFX/ Finishing: Alyssa St. Vincent
Post Producer: Ashton Evans
Executive Producer: Jennifer Lederman  

Color: Company 3
Tim Masick

Audio: Heard City
Sound Design + Audio Mix: Mike Vitacco  
Audio Assistants: Catherine Sangionvanni, Bennett Kerr, Seth Brogdon, Ronnie Stapleton  
EP: Sasha Awn, Jackie James  
Producer: Andi Lewis  
Assistant Producer: Nick DuVarney  
Managing Director: Gloria Pitagorsky