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Royal Caribbean rings in new brand campaign with the Shellphone

Royal Caribbean International is launching a new brand campaign tapping into the most inspirational element at the core of the global cruise line's offering ... the sea.

The campaign focuses on the sights and sounds of the sea and conveys the relaxation, romance and adventure that only can be had on the open waters.

The campaign will kick off with playful imagery of a conch shell as a phone - dubbed the “Shellphone”, pictured - and communicates the campaign’s decree: “The Sea is Calling. Answer it Royally”. 

Throughout, “The Sea is Calling. Answer it Royally” is presented in an easily relatable fashion through the playful and witty tone of voice for which Royal Caribbean has been known, particularly through the “Shellphone.” 

“We are tapping into the sea’s powerful, emotional force to reframe the context of cruising for consumers who don’t understand what a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation offers,” says RCI senior vice president Betsy O’Rourke.

“‘The Sea is Calling’ is a global-scale campaign that will resonate with people no matter where they live, what language they speak, or whether or not they’ve cruised before.  And we want vacationers everywhere to know that Royal Caribbean’s distinctive and innovative ships, personal service and breadth of destination experiences is how we ‘Answer it Royally’.”

Created by Royal Caribbean‘s lead advertising agency, JWT New York, in partnership with media agency Mindshare, the campaign will unfold over the coming weeks and officially launch in North America in January and then deploy globally throughout the new year.

The Shellphone will begin appearing on Monday (December 19) in a series of wild postings in major cities including New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, Boston and Miami. Headlines

The official kick-off will be the airing of aspirational television commercials of everyday people interacting with the “Shellphone” (30-second and 60-second versions) beginning January 9.